Evaluation Set for 2027
Syria will undergo a mutual evaluation of its anti-money-laundering system beginning in mid-2027, a preliminary step toward removing the country from the international gray list, the director of international cooperation at the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Authority, Shafiq al-Dali, said on 31 October 2026.
He said the authority is working to apply the recommendations and standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and that the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) has affirmed that Syria is moving in the right direction in building its legislative and executive framework.
Return to Global Oversight
The announcement followed the authority's first appearance at a FATF plenary in more than 15 years. Its head, Safwat Raslan, attended the session held in Paris on 30 October 2026 and chaired by the United Kingdom.
Removal from the gray list, the FATF's roster of jurisdictions placed under increased monitoring, would ease Syria's path back toward the international financial system after years of isolation.
Groundwork Since July
Preparations for the 2027 review began earlier in the year. In July 2026, a MENAFATF delegation made its first official visit to Syria since 2010, meeting officials at the General Secretariat of the Presidency in a session attended by Interior Minister Anas Khattab and several other ministers.
On 21 July 2026, the authority opened a workshop with the United Nations Development Programme to draft a national strategy against money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of weapons proliferation, with participation from the relevant ministries and institutions.
Why Delisting Matters
A credible anti-money-laundering regime helps trace criminal proceeds and curb terrorist financing, al-Dali said, describing it as the foundation of a more transparent financial environment.
He added that such a system is meant to build confidence among local and international investors, a condition the government treats as central to drawing capital into the economy.