The Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force published the final statement of its 41st Plenary Meeting in Manama, Bahrain, setting out agreed follow-up actions and leadership arrangements for the next cycle. The plenary adopted several member-country follow-up reports, approved the Kingdom of Bahrain to assume the MENAFATF vice-presidency in 2026, and endorsed the priorities for the joint presidency of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for 2026 and 2027. The meeting reviewed outcomes from a high-level meeting of Arab central bank and monetary authority governors, including reaffirmed support for MENAFATF, alongside ongoing work to enhance MENAFATF governance. Discussions also covered MENAFATF studies and member experiences on challenges implementing targeted financial sanctions, approaches to emerging crimes and cybercrimes, and recent money laundering and terrorist financing patterns. Bahrain is set to take up the vice-presidency role in 2026, with the approved UAE-Bahrain joint presidency priorities guiding work across 2026 and 2027.

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