Gulf states are preparing to ramp up economic sanctions against Qatar, as well as widening its diplomatic isolation and suspending it from the Gulf Co-operation Council, senior Gulf diplomats have indicated. They were speaking before a meeting in Cairo of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United… Read More

Qatar is facing further sanctions as a deadline for the country to accede to a list of demands from its Gulf neighbours approaches. The 13-point ultimatum, which was issued 10 days ago as part of a dramatic dispute between the Gulf nations, had called for the gas-rich Emirate to close… Read More

A Saudi-led bloc is considering fresh sanctions against Qatar that may include asking trading partners to choose between them or Doha, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to Russia said. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, envoy Omar Ghobash said the expulsion of Qatar from the Gulf Cooperation Council… Read More

Suspicions that Qatar is involved in funding terrorism could roil Kenya’s trade relations with the Middle East country, even as neighbours in the Gulf tightened sanctions. On the second day of the Gulf Crisis when Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, Nairobi chose… Read More

Saudi Arabia’s Financial Intelligence Unit has stepped a campaign against money laundering and terror funding operations by inspecting real estate and brokerage offices as well as other vital sectors that are likely to be involved in financial crimes. The department has received more than 13,000 intimations related to money laundering… Read More

Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar said here on Monday that Saudi Vision 2030 would ensure transparency and the fight against corruption in its march toward the Kingdom’s development. Read More

A substantial number of compliance officers (about 44 per cent) lack confidence in the anti-money laundering (AML) programmes of their organisations, according to a new report. Read More

In the final part of an exclusive series of four webinars Elise Bean, former Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, will explore the case of Riggs Bank. Riggs, a D.C. based commercial bank with branches around the world, was effectively shut down by means of a merger in 2005 following revelations that it handled deposits from Augusto Pinochet, the Saudi royal family and the dictator of Equatorial Guinea among others. Elise will consider what can be learnt for the case for financial crime prevention regimes today. Read More

A diplomatic cable said an investigation into mysterious $700m found in Najib Razak’s bank account had not absolved him of corruption Read More

Seven cases of money laundering, reportedly worth SR16 billion ($4 billion), are under investigation in Saudi Arabia, according to local media. Read More