A note before you read. Dal makes AIN, one of the nine tools below. Every claim about another vendor comes from that vendor's own website or press release, read on 22 October 2026. Where a page did not say something, we write "not stated on the pages we read". It may still be true, so ask the vendor.
Key takeaways
- In the GCC, a screening tool must cover the national lists as well as the UN and global lists. Saudi CMA-licensed firms screen the UN Security Council lists and the Saudi national lists at onboarding, on every list update, and in a full screen at least every three months [1]. UAE firms screen the UAE Local Terrorist List and freeze within 24 hours of a listing [3][4].
- Arabic names are the hard part. The CMA requires matching that catches spelling variations and transliterations [1]. Two of the nine tools state Arabic name matching on their pages, AIN and FOCAL by Mozn [5][8]; LSEG says its API screens names in different scripts [14].
- The nine fall into three groups: tools built for the region (AIN, FOCAL, azakaw), global data providers with their own screening software (LSEG World-Check, LexisNexis Bridger Insight XG), and screening sold by API or as software (ComplyAdvantage, Sumsub, Sanction Scanner, Eastnets SafeWatch).
- One tool states on its pages that client data is hosted in the GCC: AIN, in Saudi Arabia [5]. Ask every vendor where your data will sit.
- Before you sign, test each shortlisted tool on a file of names in Arabic and in Latin letters.
The short answer
The best AML screening tool for a GCC firm is the one that covers its national lists, matches Arabic names well, and leaves a record an inspector can follow. For a Saudi CMA-licensed firm that must also screen the Nafith and Makken order lists, AIN by Dal is built for that job [5][6]. For a bank that wants screening, monitoring and fraud on one Arabic-first platform, FOCAL by Mozn is the other Riyadh option to compare [7][8]. For a firm that needs research data inside a platform it already has, LSEG World-Check and LexisNexis WorldCompliance are the global data sets [13][15]. For a fintech that screens by API, ComplyAdvantage, Sumsub and Sanction Scanner are built for that [16][18][20]. For a bank that screens payment messages at volume, Eastnets SafeWatch Screening is the specialist [22].
What a GCC firm should compare
Seven things decide whether a screening tool works in the region.
- The national lists. Global lists are the start. Saudi CMA-licensed firms must screen the UN Security Council lists and the Saudi national sanctions lists [1], and must also screen the Nafith and Makken order lists by ID number [2]. UAE firms must register for the Executive Office's list notifications and screen the UAE Local Terrorist List [3]. Ask each vendor to show every national list you need, by name.
- Arabic names. One Arabic name can be written in Latin letters in many ways. The CMA requires automated matching that catches aliases, spelling variations and transliterations [1]. Test it on real spellings, not on a demo data set.
- When it screens. Onboarding is not enough. Saudi rules require screening on every list update and a full screen at least every three months [1]. UAE guidance defines freezing without delay as within 24 hours of a listing [4]. Look for continuous screening that re-runs your whole client base when a list changes.
- The record each alert leaves. The CMA requires dual control on alerts and a written reason to close a false positive [1]. Ask to see one alert from match to closure, with both people who handled it.
- PEPs and adverse media. Most tools add politically exposed persons (PEPs) and adverse media to sanctions. Ask how deep the PEP data goes in the GCC, and which languages the news covers.
- Hosting. Ask where screening data and client data will be stored, and how you get them back if you leave. Saudi firms can read the data rules in our guide to choosing a CMA-compliant KYC platform.
- The pricing model. Some tools charge per check, some per monitored client a year, some by quote. Model the cost on your real client count, with continuous screening switched on.
The nine tools at a glance
- AIN by Dal: a compliance platform built in Saudi Arabia. Arabic matching stated; Saudi lists, Nafith and Makken named; data hosted in Saudi Arabia; priced per monitored client a year [5][6].
- FOCAL by Mozn: an AML and fraud platform from Riyadh, with an office in Dubai. Arabic-first matching stated; 1,300+ lists "enriched with region-specific depth"; price by quote [7][8].
- azakaw: a compliance operating system built for the MENA region. Sanctions, PEPs and negative news inside its KYC and KYB; Arabic and list counts not stated; price by quote [11][12].
- LSEG World-Check: a research data set with the World-Check One screening platform. Names in different languages and scripts; price by quote [13][14].
- LexisNexis Bridger Insight XG: screening software on WorldCompliance data, with 180 sanctions lists and 1,700 enforcement lists. Cloud or on-premise; price by quote [15].
- ComplyAdvantage: screening data and an API, with sanctions changes available within minutes. Lists crawled in 14 languages; price by quote [16][17].
- Sumsub: screening inside a verification suite, from 50,000+ sources. From $1.35 per verification on its page [18][19].
- Sanction Scanner: a screening API covering 3,000+ lists from 220+ countries. Plans by entities screened a month [20][21].
- Eastnets SafeWatch Screening: screening for customer databases, payment messages and transaction files. Local regulatory watchlists stated; price by quote [22].
Built for the region
1. AIN by Dal
AIN is Dal's compliance platform, built by former CMA regulators [5]. Its screening covers 2,700+ international watchlists, global sanctions, PEP databases and adverse media across 600K+ sources [5]. It also screens Saudi lists, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance circulars, SAMA's shared lists, Nazaha, Tadawul, the Presidency of State Security and Umm Al-Qura, and it automates the Nafith and Makken order lists [5][6].
- What stands out: an Arabic matching algorithm with AI-powered match recommendations, continuous screening rather than screening only at onboarding, automatic no-match reports for CMA entities, and full auditable logs [5]. All data is hosted in Saudi Arabia, in a dedicated database for each client firm [5].
- What to check: AIN is built for firms regulated by the CMA, SAMA, REGA and the Insurance Authority [5]. If you hold clients in other GCC states, ask Dal to confirm their national lists; Dal answers questions about specific lists by email [5].
- Best for: Saudi-regulated firms, above all CMA-licensed capital market firms that must screen Nafith and Makken.
2. FOCAL by Mozn
FOCAL is the AML and fraud platform of Mozn, which is headquartered in Riyadh with an office in Dubai [7]. Its customer screening covers "more than 1300 sanctions, PEP, RCA, and regulatory lists, enriched with region-specific depth", and firms can add their own internal or regulator-mandated lists [8].
- What stands out: what Mozn calls "patented Arabic-first AI designed to match complex Arabic names", with Latin scripts supported, and re-screening on every watchlist update or KYC change [8]. FOCAL also covers KYC, transaction monitoring and fraud [7]. In January 2026, Chartis Research named Mozn a category leader for both AML transaction monitoring and KYC data and solutions [9].
- What to check: the page we read does not name the GCC lists it covers or say where data is hosted [8]. A partnership with Red Hat lets FOCAL run on-premises as well as in the cloud [10].
- Best for: banks and larger financial firms that want screening, monitoring and fraud on one platform with Arabic-first matching.
3. azakaw
azakaw calls itself "The Compliance Operating System" and describes itself as built for the MENA region [11][12]. It was named an IDC Innovator in IDC's 2026 report on Middle East regulatory technology providers [11]. Screening for "sanctions, PEPs and negative news" sits inside its digital KYC and KYB, next to ID and biometric verification [11].
- What stands out: onboarding, screening, transaction monitoring with case management, and corporate compliance in one system, with regulator-specific templates [11].
- What to check: list counts, Arabic name matching, hosting and pricing are not stated on the pages we read [11].
- Best for: firms in the region that want onboarding and screening in one workflow tool.
Global data providers
4. LSEG World-Check
World-Check is LSEG's research data set on higher-risk people and organisations. Its records can include sanctions and law and regulatory enforcement, with identifiers and source references, researched from "international, national and local sources" under defined inclusion criteria [13]. World-Check One is LSEG's screening platform for reviewing matches, managing cases and keeping an audit trail, with ongoing monitoring [13].
- What stands out: the data comes in LSEG's own software, through APIs, or inside other screening products [13]. LSEG's API fact sheet says it screens names "in different languages and scripts" and uses secondary identifiers to cut false positives [14].
- What to check: record counts, the GCC national lists it carries, and pricing are not stated on the page we read [13].
- Best for: firms that want a researched data set with stated inclusion criteria, in LSEG's platform or inside another tool.
5. LexisNexis Risk Solutions: Bridger Insight XG
Bridger Insight XG is screening software that runs on LexisNexis WorldCompliance data: 8M+ risk profiles, 180 global sanctions lists, 1,700 enforcement lists, 3.4 million+ PEP profiles and 457k state-owned enterprise profiles, with news from sources in 59 languages [15].
- What stands out: one engine screens both accounts and payments, and any change to your client data or to a watchlist is rescreened automatically [15]. It runs in a public or private cloud, single-tenant or multi-tenant, or on-premise [15].
- What to check: Arabic name matching and the GCC national lists are not named on the page we read [15].
- Best for: banks and large firms that want account and payment screening together, on-premise or in a private cloud.
Screening by API or as software
6. ComplyAdvantage
ComplyAdvantage screens against sanctions, PEPs and their relatives and close associates, watchlists, adverse media and enforcement data [16]. It says sanctions changes are available "within minutes", PEPs are monitored daily, and its adverse media system processes "10M+ pages" a day [16].
- What stands out: integration by real-time API, batch or SFTP, and lists crawled in 14 languages [16]. Its Mesh platform adds transaction monitoring, payment screening, fraud detection and alert investigation with an audit trail [17].
- What to check: Arabic name matching, the GCC national lists and hosting are not stated on the pages we read [16].
- Best for: fintechs and digital firms that screen by API and want fast list updates.
7. Sumsub
Sumsub screens against global and national sanctions lists, including OFAC, UN, HMT, EU and DFAT, plus PEPs and adverse media, from "over 50,000 independent sources across 240+ countries and territories" [18]. Screening sits in a suite with ID verification, KYB, transaction monitoring and fraud prevention [19].
- What stands out: continuous rescreening against updated lists, and AI triage that Sumsub says handles 95% of matches before a person reviews them [18]. Its screening page lists a price "starting from $1.35 per verification" [18].
- What to check: Arabic name matching and the Middle East are not mentioned on the pages we read [18][19].
- Best for: digital businesses that want identity verification and screening from one vendor.
8. Sanction Scanner
Sanction Scanner covers "more than 3000 different Sanctions, PEP, Wanted and Watched lists from over 220 countries", plus adverse media and ongoing monitoring [20].
- What stands out: a REST API with a stated 250 ms average response, and a free single sanctions check on its website [20]. Plans are priced by the number of entities screened a month [21].
- What to check: Arabic name matching and the GCC national lists are not stated on the pages we read [20].
- Best for: smaller firms that want quick API screening on a monthly plan.
9. Eastnets SafeWatch Screening
SafeWatch Screening checks customer databases, payment messages and transaction files against OFAC, UN and EU lists, local regulatory watchlists, PEP databases and adverse media, in real time or in an overnight batch [22]. Eastnets says it uses AI and natural language processing to cut false matches, and publishes a case study from American Express KSA [22].
- What stands out: real-time blocking of payments, and a fifth version that connects to Kafka and MQ through a REST API [22][23].
- What to check: which local lists it carries, how it handles Arabic names, and its deployment options are not stated on the page we read [22].
- Best for: banks that screen payment messages and transaction files at volume.
How to choose
Start from the job your firm must do, not from the longest feature list.
- A CMA-licensed capital market firm in Saudi Arabia. Start with tools that name the Saudi lists and handle Nafith and Makken, then check the record each alert leaves for the CMA [1][2].
- A firm regulated in the UAE. Confirm that the tool carries the UAE Local Terrorist List, and walk through the 24-hour freeze from list update to frozen account [3][4].
- A bank screening payments. Compare payment screening engines on speed and on false positives, using your own message formats.
- A fintech onboarding clients by app. Compare API speed, the price per check, and how screening fits with your identity verification.
Then run one test before you sign. Give each vendor the same file of test names, in Arabic and in Latin letters, including names from a public sanctions list written in several spellings. Compare what each tool finds, what it misses, and how many false alerts it raises.
To see AIN screen a client base against Saudi and global lists, including Nafith and Makken, Book a Demo at getdal.sa.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AML screening tool for Saudi Arabia?
It depends on the firm. For CMA-licensed firms that must screen the Nafith and Makken order lists, AIN automates both alongside 2,700+ international watchlists and Saudi lists [5][6]. FOCAL by Mozn is the other Riyadh-built option, with Arabic-first name matching [7][8].
Which lists must a GCC firm screen against?
The UN Security Council lists and the national lists of each country it operates in. Saudi CMA-licensed firms screen the UN lists and the Saudi national sanctions lists [1], and the Nafith and Makken order lists [2]. UAE firms screen the UAE Local Terrorist List as well as the UN lists [3].
Why does Arabic name matching matter?
One Arabic name can be written in Latin letters in many ways, so a tool that matches only exact spellings misses true matches. The CMA's rules require matching that catches aliases, spelling variations and transliterations [1].
How often should clients be screened?
In Saudi Arabia, a CMA-licensed firm screens at onboarding, on every list update, and in a full screen of all clients at least every three months [1]. In the UAE, a match must be frozen within 24 hours of the listing [4], so screening has to follow list updates closely.
Do global screening tools cover Saudi and UAE lists?
Some say they cover "local" or "national" lists without naming them on the pages we read [13][22]. Ask each vendor to list, by name, every national list it carries for the countries where you hold clients.
How much does an AML screening tool cost?
Most vendors price by quote. On the pages we read, Sumsub lists a price from $1.35 per verification [18], Sanction Scanner prices plans by entities screened a month [21], and AIN prices per monitored client a year, with the price per client falling as volume rises [5].
How was this list put together?
Dal makes AIN, which is on the list. We read each vendor's own pages and press releases on 22 October 2026, used only what they state, and marked what they do not state. We did not test the tools ourselves. Ask each vendor to confirm the points that matter to you.
Should screening data be hosted in the GCC?
Ask every vendor where your data will be stored. For Saudi firms, our guide to choosing a CMA-compliant KYC platform explains today's rules on transferring personal data abroad and the draft rule that would require storage in the Kingdom.
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