1. Home
  2. |Insights
  3. |Saudi Shoura Council Approves Draft Amended Anti-Money Laundering Law

Saudi Shoura Council Approves Draft Amended Anti-Money Laundering Law

Client Alert | 1 min read | 03.01.12

In response to recommendations made in a 2010 Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force Report on Saudi Arabia's anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) regime (the Report), Saudi Arabia's Shoura Council approved on 27 February 2012 a draft amended anti-money laundering law (the Draft Law).

Saudi Arabia's existing AML / CFT regime was established in 2003 with the issuance of the Anti Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and supplemented by implementing regulations issued in 2007. The Report identified a number of areas for improvement in Saudi Arabia's existing AML / CFT regime, including:

  • The AMLA does not clearly cover self-laundering and does not clearly extend to predicate offences committed abroad.
  • There is no stand-alone statutory terrorist financing (TF) offence with features and elements as required by the United Nations' Terrorist Financing Convention (the UN TF Convention).
  • TF as a money laundering offence does not extend to all legal entities or to all funds as required by the UN TF Convention.
  • TF as a money laundering offence does not cover acts by terrorist organizations of fewer than three persons, nor does it cover attempted TF.
  • While the AMLA contains specific provisions for confiscation in AML / CFT proceedings, protection of bona fide third parties is insufficient.

The Draft Law, which has not been released to the public, will reportedly seek to address some of the more urgent concerns raised by the Report.

Insights

Client Alert | 8 min read | 04.17.26

CMS Finalizes CY 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rule: Key Implications for Plan Sponsors

On April 6, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final rule governing the Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) programs for Contract Year (CY) 2027. The final rule is effective June 1, 2026, with most provisions applicable to coverage beginning January 1, 2027, and marketing and communications changes taking effect October 1, 2026. Beyond payment, the rule pursues a broad deregulatory agenda aligned with Executive Order 14192, reversing marketing and enrollment safeguards introduced in 2023 and easing documentation and reporting obligations, while introducing new program integrity requirements....