Abu dhabi: Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National Anti-Narcotics Authority, met with Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), at the Central Bank headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The meeting focused on strengthening the national anti-narcotics system, fostering institutional collaboration, and coordinating efforts to combat narcotics-related financial crimes.

According to Emirates News Agency, the discussions aimed to protect the community, safeguard security, ensure transparency and integrity within the financial sector, and maintain the stability of the UAE’s financial system. The key topics included expanding the exchange of information and data, enhancing the efficiency of response, and improving the effectiveness of national policies to reinforce a secure and reliable financial environment in the UAE.

Assistant Governors of the Central Bank and several officials from both sides attended the meeting. During the visit, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan was briefed on the Central Bank’s mandates and its efforts in addressing narcotics-related financial crimes at national and international levels. He was also informed about the regulations and legislation in place to combat financial crimes, as well as projects under the CBUAE’s financial infrastructure transformation program. These projects include the digitisation of domestic and cross-border payment systems and initiatives to train national personnel for proactive detection of suspicious financial transactions.

Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, stated that the visit is an opportunity to strengthen the institutional partnership between the CBUAE and the National Anti-Narcotics Authority, supporting national efforts to combat narcotics-related financial crimes, preserving the integrity of the UAE’s financial system, and reinforcing its position as a global financial hub.