UK FCA Expands Global Presence with Financial Services Attachés in India and UAE

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced the appointment of Sabina Saini and Darine Obeid as financial services attachés representing the regulator in India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sabina Saini will be based at the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai, while Darine Obeid will operate from the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. These postings expand the FCA's overseas footprint, adding to its established network of attachés in Washington DC, Brussels, Singapore, and the broader Asia-Pacific region. The international network is intended to support international regulatory co-operation, encourage financial services exports, and foster inbound investment into the UK market. Ruairí O’Connell OBE, Director of International at the FCA, stated that the new attachés will advance UK interests on financial services policy and help the regulator work more closely with counterparts in India and the Gulf. Saini brings nearly 20 years of experience across financial regulation, banking, and audit, with an emphasis on prudential supervision and risk. Prior to this role, she managed the FCA's critical third parties regime and operational risk and resilience policy, following more than eight years at the Bank of England working across resolution policy, supervision, and audit. Obeid has served at the FCA for over a decade, specializing in the supervision of wholesale banking, retail banking, and fintech. Her background includes leading regulatory engagement on financial crime, operational resilience, artificial intelligence, and customer outcomes. The expansion aligns with the FCA's wider international strategy, which includes previously formalizing collaboration with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in India through an Exchange of Letters.