ACSS UAE Chapter Launch: Sanctions Trends and Forecasts for 2025 and Beyond

Aneeza Siddiqui serves as Associate General Counsel, Regulatory Advisory at Aramco Trading Dubai, an international subsidiary of Aramco Trading Company.

Aneeza recently joined Aramco Trading Dubai and works in the Legal group where she will be advising on global regulatory matters related to commodity trading, sanctions, data privacy, ABAC, environmental and antitrust.

Prior to joining Aramco Trading Dubai, Aneeza was heading ADNOC Group’s Ethics and Regulatory Compliance function where she implemented a robust regulatory compliance framework to meet the demands and challenges of rapid international growth.

Sumit Sarkar is a seasoned compliance risk professional and is currently the Group Head of Sanctions at a leading financial institution.

In his current role, Sumit is responsible for overall leadership and management of Bank’s Global Sanctions Compliance Program.

With more than 17 years of financial crime compliance experience, Sumit has held leadership positions at large global banks covering financial crime risk management functions across Asia Pacific, Africa, and Middle East regions.

Sumit possesses extensive management experience in driving strategic bank wide financial crime compliance change programs, correspondent banking, implementation of state-of-the-art compliance technology systems and the management of global sanctions compliance programs.

Director, Financial Crime Compliance Strategy, LexisNexis® Risk Solutions

Jonny Bell holds commercial and strategic responsibility for financial crime and compliance portfolio for LexisNexis® Risk Solutions across the UKI, Europe, Middle East & Africa.

With 10+ years of experience working in financial services, technology, compliance risk and strategy consulting, Bell applies his extensive project management expertise and experience towards driving business profitability and maintaining effective organic growth.

Bell began his career working with top global financial institutions focusing on horizontal functions including risk, compliance and technology. Following four years of consulting, he went on to work for London Stock Exchange Group (Refinitiv), where his most recent role was as head of business operations and strategy for the risk division.

Bell holds a degree in archaeology and ancient history from the University of Nottingham, where he was also athletic union president. A keen sportsman, Jonny is a professional rugby league player with the London Skolars Rugby League.

Today Bell lives in Dubai with his wife. In his free time, he enjoys playing most sports, reading and travelling.

John-Patrick (JP) Powers is a Partner in the Washington, DC office of Clifford Chance LLP, with over fourteen years of experience in the fields of international economic sanctions and foreign trade controls. He advises leading financial institutions, corporates and trading companies on US economic sanctions issues and compliance with US economic sanctions laws and regulations.

He has participated in a wide range of US economic sanctions investigations and enforcement actions as well as designing sanctions compliance programs for multinational corporations, financial institutions and trading companies in the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

JP holds a law degree from the University of Florida, where he graduated with academic honors. He obtained his undergraduate and master's degrees in Criminology/ Criminal Justice from Florida State University. JP is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Aneeza Siddiqui serves as Associate General Counsel, Regulatory Advisory at Aramco Trading Dubai, an international subsidiary of Aramco Trading Company.

Aneeza recently joined Aramco Trading Dubai and works in the Legal group where she will be advising on global regulatory matters related to commodity trading, sanctions, data privacy, ABAC, environmental and antitrust.

Prior to joining Aramco Trading Dubai, Aneeza was heading ADNOC Group’s Ethics and Regulatory Compliance function where she implemented a robust regulatory compliance framework to meet the demands and challenges of rapid international growth.

Sumit Sarkar is a seasoned compliance risk professional and is currently the Group Head of Sanctions at a leading financial institution.

In his current role, Sumit is responsible for overall leadership and management of Bank’s Global Sanctions Compliance Program.

With more than 17 years of financial crime compliance experience, Sumit has held leadership positions at large global banks covering financial crime risk management functions across Asia Pacific, Africa, and Middle East regions.

Sumit possesses extensive management experience in driving strategic bank wide financial crime compliance change programs, correspondent banking, implementation of state-of-the-art compliance technology systems and the management of global sanctions compliance programs.

Director, Financial Crime Compliance Strategy, LexisNexis® Risk Solutions

Jonny Bell holds commercial and strategic responsibility for financial crime and compliance portfolio for LexisNexis® Risk Solutions across the UKI, Europe, Middle East & Africa.

With 10+ years of experience working in financial services, technology, compliance risk and strategy consulting, Bell applies his extensive project management expertise and experience towards driving business profitability and maintaining effective organic growth.

Bell began his career working with top global financial institutions focusing on horizontal functions including risk, compliance and technology. Following four years of consulting, he went on to work for London Stock Exchange Group (Refinitiv), where his most recent role was as head of business operations and strategy for the risk division.

Bell holds a degree in archaeology and ancient history from the University of Nottingham, where he was also athletic union president. A keen sportsman, Jonny is a professional rugby league player with the London Skolars Rugby League.

Today Bell lives in Dubai with his wife. In his free time, he enjoys playing most sports, reading and travelling.

John-Patrick (JP) Powers is a Partner in the Washington, DC office of Clifford Chance LLP, with over fourteen years of experience in the fields of international economic sanctions and foreign trade controls. He advises leading financial institutions, corporates and trading companies on US economic sanctions issues and compliance with US economic sanctions laws and regulations.

He has participated in a wide range of US economic sanctions investigations and enforcement actions as well as designing sanctions compliance programs for multinational corporations, financial institutions and trading companies in the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

JP holds a law degree from the University of Florida, where he graduated with academic honors. He obtained his undergraduate and master's degrees in Criminology/ Criminal Justice from Florida State University. JP is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.