This year is set to be especially turbulent for international business, amid geopolitical changes that will have a marked impact on the Middle East. Risk & compliance professionals can play a critical role in helping their companies manage this fluid environment through anticipating risks and adapting to policy changes.
Against this backdrop, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance is hosting a half-day event in Dubai, with the aim of providing the latest perspectives on compliance-critical issues. We will convene experts for on-stage discussions across multiple sessions while also giving attendees a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with their peers. This morning event will be followed by a luncheon.
Stay Ahead of Regulatory Changes
Keep up to date with best practices on sanctions, anti-bribery, export controls and third-party risks.
Expert Insights
Hear from thought leaders about managing compliance in a dynamic regulatory environment.
Networking Opportunities
Meet with regional risk & compliance peers from a range of financial and corporate industries
Meet Key Dow Jones Leaders (TBC)
Hear from Joel Lange, executive vice president and general manager of Dow Jones Risk & Research about trends in compliance and business information
U.S. Administration Changes
What changes the new U.S. administration is likely to bring to key areas of compliance, which agencies and departments will see the greatest change, and where there could be divergence with the rest of the world
Sanctions Outlook
The prospects for significant changes to sanctions regimes on Iran and Russia and how enforcement priorities could change
Trade Controls
The outlook for trade controls, including the impact of strained relations between the U.S., Europe and China, and of moves to end the war in Ukraine.
Banking and Cryptocurrency Regulations
What potential changes to banking and cryptocurrency regulation could mean for compliance.
Strategic Repositioning for Compliance Programs
How compliance professionals should reposition their programs to account for these changes to minimize risks.
‘From sanctions and tariffs to sustainability laws and carbon taxes, the energy sector is at the center of many of the most disruptive recent policy trends. In this fireside chat, Doraliz Ortiz de Leon will share her thoughts on how to run an effective compliance program in this fluid and charged environment.’
Moderated By: Nick Elliott - Dow Jones
Speaker:
The coming months could bring tighter Western sanctions on Iran, peace talks over the Ukraine war, stringent technology controls aimed at China, retaliatory moves by China, and a divergence between the U.S. and Europe. This discussion will look at how corporate compliance departments can manage in a climate of uncertainty.
Moderated By: Tom Blass, WorldECR
Speakers:
‘Anti-bribery laws remain one of the biggest risks for companies but corporate compliance professionals also need to watch for a range of other third-party risks, from forced labor use by suppliers to tighter anti-money laundering laws. Panelists will look at how to balance risk priorities.’
Moderated By: Nick Elliott
Speakers:
Vice President Group Ethics and Compliance
ADNOC
Vice President Group Ethics and Compliance
ADNOC
Aneeza has extensive legal, compliance and governance experience with top tier private and
public sector companies. She currently heads Group Legal Disputes and Litigation for the
ADNOC Group transitioning across from heading ADNOC’s Ethics and Regulatory Compliance
function for the last 3 years. A strong believer that ethical and legal conduct is integral
to the growth and sustainability of any successful business model, she has worked
extensively on corporate risk management and mitigation.
She started her career in private practice with a focus on energy. Aneeza is enthusiastic
about and has led key initiatives promoting diversity, inclusion, and social governance
matters. She is an advisor to the ADNOC Gender Balance Committee, Culture Committee, and a
regular mentor to young Emiratis.
Head of Compliance
Commercial Bank International
Head of Compliance
Commercial Bank International
David holds a triple master’s degree, among which an LLM in business law and Executive
Master’s compliance & integrity management, obtained at the University of Amsterdam and the
Free University of Amsterdam.
David has about 23 years of relevant compliance experience obtained in Europe, Brazil and
(the previous 11 years) in the UAE.
Currently he is the Head of Compliance and Member of the Executive Committee at Commercial
Bank International, a local national bank with emphasis on wholesale banking.
Other than enhancing the bank’s controls, David is passionate to uplift the strength and
independence of the compliance function within financial services. He occasionally lectures
at university in Europe and writes columns about compliance topics in his home country, the
Netherlands.
Partner
Akin Gump
Partner
Akin Gump
• Focuses on the application of U.S. law abroad in the context of white collar
investigations, sanctions, export controls, anticorruption or national security matters.
• Advisor to boards of directors and Fortune 500 companies, sovereigns and state-owned
entities.
• Partner in charge of the Dubai office and co-founder of OverRuled.
Mac is the partner in charge of Akin’s Dubai office and co-leads Akin’s white
collar investigations & trade compliance team in the Middle East. Having been based in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2012, Mac has been instrumental in solidifying Akin’s
standing in the Middle East.
With a focus on the application of U.S. law abroad, Mac’s practice spans several
industries and continents. His clients applaud him both for his skills as a technician with
mastery over the detailed nuances of U.S. sanctions and export control regulations, as well
as for the high-level or bet-the-company strategic counsel he provides to help manage risk.
Director, Sanctions Advisory
Standard Chartered [TBC]
Director, Sanctions Advisory
Standard Chartered [TBC]
Lloyd Meadows is responsible for regional sanctions policy and advisory work across the
Africa & Middle East Group Sanctions Regional Team in Dubai. He has undertaken two recent
secondments with SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s FinTech arm. He was previously a Senior
Sanctions Advisor in the Group Sanctions Specialist Team in London from 2014-16.
From 2009-14, Lloyd served in the State Programmes Team in the Counter
Proliferation Department of the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, where he worked on the
implementation of sanctions regimes targeting Iran, Syria, Libya and North Korea.
Group Risk & Compliance Director
Al Masaood
Group Risk & Compliance Director
Al Masaood
Experienced leader in risk management, compliance and governance, with a strong track record in multinational organizations. Skilled in the ‘Three Lines of Defence’ framework, I drive strategic change and process improvements across industries. Proficient in implementing risk and compliance frameworks. Known for effective leadership, clear communication, and delivering tailored solutions that enhance business operations and mitigate risks.
AML Director
BitOasis
Head of Communities
Dow Jones Risk & Research
Head of Communities
Dow Jones Risk & Research
Nicholas Elliott is head of communities at Dow Jones Risk & Research, which combines Dow Jones Risk & Compliance and Factiva. Previously he had a long career at The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones as a journalist, moderator, editorial leader and content innovator. Throughout his career he has focused on serving the information needs of professional audiences, both in the corporate and financial markets. In his most recent position at the Journal he was head of professional products innovation & strategy, a role in which he founded WSJ Pro’s cybersecurity newsletter, its cybersecurity and sustainability events and managed research teams producing premium analysis and proprietary data. Previously he was the founding editor of WSJ Risk & Compliance, which became a must-read in that market, and launched the Journal’s long-running series of risk & compliance events. He held previous roles as managing editor of commodities and futures at Dow Jones Newswires, European capital markets editor and as a reporter covering European bonds and monetary policy. He holds a degree in economics from the University of York, U.K.
Co-founder and Editorial Director
WorldECR
Co-founder and Editorial Director
WorldECR
Tom Blass is the co-founder and editorial director of WorldECR, founded in 2011 to provide timely and insightful analysis of the changing sanctions and export control landscape. In addition to legal and business journalism, he has written two books on travel.
WorldECR was acquired by Dow Jones in late 2024, and Tom looks forward to expanding coverage of trade controls and national security legislation and reaching new readers and audiences.
Group Head of Legal & Regulatory Compliance
Emirates National Oil Company LLC (ENOC)
Group Head of Legal & Regulatory Compliance
Emirates National Oil Company LLC (ENOC)
Doraliz has over 20 years of international legal experience, advising in compliance and litigation for government and business organizations. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and currently serves as the Group Head of Legal & Regulatory Compliance at Emirates National Oil Company LLC (ENOC), an integrated energy group owned by the Government of Dubai, with business presence in over 60 countries. Previously, Doraliz handled disputes and litigation for ENOC Group.
Based in Dubai since 2009, Doraliz has extensive experience in designing and implementing compliance frameworks for large multinational corporations, from drafting policies to training employees, screening third parties and conducting investigations. Her responsibilities include advising on risk management, with a focus on international sanctions, corporate governance, business ethics, anti-corruption, third-party due diligence, data privacy, information security and health and safety regulations. She is passionate about fostering a culture of compliance and mentoring UAE nationals in their career development.
Before moving to Dubai, Doraliz served as Assistant Solicitor General for the Department of Justice in Puerto Rico, where she represented the government in appellate litigation before the U.S. Courts. She also clerked for a U.S. District Judge.
