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Quest Training

OFAC Sanctions Compliance Requirements Training Course

Equips professionals to assess OFAC sanctions risks, screen restricted parties, investigate matches, and implement defensible compliance controls.

CAF · Compliance, AML & Financial CrimeAll Levels#3059ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Finance, Investment & BankingCategories:Compliance, AML & Financial Crime

Course Overview

This course provides a practical understanding of the sanctions compliance requirements administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Participants explore the legal and regulatory foundations of U.S. sanctions, the different types of sanctions programmes, and their implications for financial institutions, international businesses, trade operations, and cross-border transactions. The programme examines sanctions screening, restricted-party identification, ownership and control considerations, transaction monitoring, payment reviews, and the management of potential sanctions matches. Participants learn how to assess exposure to sanctioned individuals, entities, jurisdictions, vessels, and intermediaries, while understanding the importance of risk-based due diligence and escalation procedures. The course also addresses OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule, sectoral sanctions, blocking requirements, prohibited dealings, and relevant reporting and recordkeeping obligations. Through practical case studies and compliance scenarios, participants develop the skills to assess sanctions risks, investigate potential violations, strengthen internal controls, and implement effective sanctions compliance programmes. Emphasis is placed on risk assessment, management commitment, internal controls, testing and auditing, training, and the use of reliable screening systems to support consistent and defensible compliance decisions.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the legal framework, purpose, and scope of OFAC-administered sanctions.
  • Distinguish between comprehensive, targeted, sectoral, and other relevant sanctions programmes.
  • Identify sanctioned individuals, entities, jurisdictions, vessels, and other restricted parties.
  • Apply risk-based due diligence and sanctions screening procedures to customers, counterparties, and transactions.
  • Interpret ownership-related restrictions, including OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule.
  • Assess potential sanctions matches and distinguish true matches from false positives.
  • Apply appropriate procedures for blocked property, prohibited transactions, rejected transactions, and escalation.
  • Establish effective sanctions compliance controls for payments, trade finance, procurement, and international business activities.
  • Understand applicable reporting, recordkeeping, investigation, and potential enforcement considerations.
  • Develop and evaluate a risk-based OFAC sanctions compliance programme aligned with organizational exposure.

Who Should Attend

Compliance officers and sanctions compliance specialists. Anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime professionals. Banking professionals working in payments, trade finance, correspondent banking, and international transfers. Risk managers and enterprise risk management specialists. Legal advisers and regulatory affairs professionals. Treasury, finance, and international business professionals. Trade compliance, export control, shipping, and supply chain specialists. Procurement professionals dealing with international suppliers and intermediaries. Internal auditors and control assurance professionals. Senior managers responsible for regulatory compliance, governance, and cross-border business operations.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain OFAC’s role and the main principles governing U.S. sanctions programmes.
  • Identify the sanctions requirements relevant to an organization’s customers, markets, transactions, and business relationships.
  • Conduct risk-based screening of customers, beneficial owners, counterparties, vessels, and transaction parties.
  • Evaluate ownership structures and apply the OFAC 50 Percent Rule where relevant.
  • Investigate potential sanctions matches using reliable identifying information and documented review procedures.
  • Determine when transactions may require blocking, rejection, further investigation, or escalation, subject to applicable requirements.
  • Recognize sanctions exposure in cross-border payments, trade finance, shipping, procurement, and third-party relationships.
  • Establish appropriate escalation, reporting, documentation, and record-retention procedures.
  • Assess the effectiveness of sanctions controls through testing, monitoring, and periodic review.
  • Recommend improvements to sanctions compliance governance, screening systems, employee training, and risk management.

Course Outline

Day 1

OFAC Sanctions Framework and Regulatory Foundations

  • Role and responsibilities of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
  • Overview of U.S. sanctions authorities, regulations, executive orders, and programme-specific requirements.
  • Differences between comprehensive, targeted, sectoral, and list-based sanctions.
  • Understanding the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List and other relevant OFAC lists.
  • Application of sanctions to U.S. persons, entities, foreign transactions, and non-U.S. organizations where applicable.
  • Sanctions risk exposure in international banking, trade, investments, shipping, and commercial relationships.
  • Practical Exercise: Review sample business relationships and transactions to identify potential OFAC exposure and determine the applicable compliance review requirements.
Day 2

Sanctions Screening, Ownership, and Risk Assessment

  • Designing risk-based screening procedures for customers, beneficial owners, counterparties, suppliers, and intermediaries.
  • Screening names, aliases, identifiers, addresses, vessels, and other relevant identifying information.
  • Applying OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule to entities owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons.
  • Understanding sectoral sanctions and restrictions that may apply to particular entities, industries, activities, or transaction types.
  • Assessing geographic, customer, product, service, and delivery-channel risks.
  • Managing potential matches, false positives, data quality issues, screening thresholds, and escalation workflows.
  • Practical Exercise: Analyse a set of customer and counterparty records, assess ownership structures, investigate potential matches, and document screening decisions.
Day 3

Transaction Compliance, Blocking, Rejection, and Reporting

  • Reviewing payment instructions, wire transfers, trade finance documents, and cross-border transactions for sanctions exposure.
  • Identifying prohibited dealings involving blocked persons, restricted entities, sanctioned jurisdictions, and other applicable restrictions.
  • Distinguishing between transactions requiring blocking and those that must be rejected under applicable OFAC requirements.
  • Understanding the treatment of blocked property, blocked accounts, and transactions involving interests in property of blocked persons.
  • Applying escalation procedures for potential violations, incomplete information, and unresolved screening alerts.
  • Understanding applicable OFAC reporting requirements, recordkeeping obligations, and deadlines, including requirements relating to blocked and rejected transactions.
  • Practical Exercise: Review simulated payment and trade transactions, determine the appropriate compliance response, and prepare a documented escalation and reporting decision.
Day 4

Sanctions Compliance Programme Design and Internal Controls

  • Core elements of an effective sanctions compliance programme based on OFAC’s published compliance framework.
  • Conducting sanctions risk assessments and mapping exposure across business units, products, customers, and geographic markets.
  • Establishing management oversight, accountability, compliance responsibilities, and appropriate governance structures.
  • Developing sanctions policies, procedures, screening controls, escalation protocols, and approval requirements.
  • Implementing due diligence and contractual controls for suppliers, agents, distributors, financial institutions, and other third parties.
  • Designing employee training, independent testing, internal audit reviews, and continuous monitoring mechanisms.
  • Practical Exercise: Design a sanctions compliance control framework for an international business, including risk assessment, screening procedures, escalation pathways, and governance responsibilities.
Day 5

Investigations, Enforcement Risk, and Programme Effectiveness

  • Identifying potential sanctions violations through transaction reviews, monitoring alerts, internal reports, and audit findings.
  • Conducting internal reviews, preserving relevant evidence, documenting decisions, and establishing investigation timelines.
  • Understanding OFAC enforcement considerations, including the importance of sanctions compliance controls, management response, and remedial measures.
  • Assessing potential civil penalties and other consequences under applicable sanctions authorities and regulations.
  • Developing corrective action plans, control enhancements, and appropriate escalation or voluntary disclosure considerations with qualified legal advice where needed.
  • Evaluating programme effectiveness through key risk indicators, testing results, alert resolution times, and periodic risk reassessments.
  • Practical Exercise: Evaluate a simulated sanctions incident, identify control failures, prepare an investigation summary, and develop a corrective action plan to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Dubai · 24 – 28 Oct 2027 · Classroom

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CityDatesPrice per ParticipantEarly Bird
SalalahScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€5,300—
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AbujaScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€5,100—
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AccraScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€5,100—
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AmmanScheduled
15 – 19 Nov 2026€3,100—
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AmsterdamScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€5,400€4,860until 2 Nov
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BakuScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€4,800€4,320until 2 Nov
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BarcelonaScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€5,400€4,860until 9 Nov
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BeirutScheduled
6 – 10 Dec 2026€4,000€3,600until 16 Nov
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CairoScheduled
13 – 17 Dec 2026€3,300€2,970until 23 Nov
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Cape TownScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€5,100€4,590until 23 Nov
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CasablancaScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€4,300€3,870until 30 Nov
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DammamScheduled
27 – 31 Dec 2026€4,200€3,780until 7 Dec
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DohaScheduled
27 – 31 Dec 2026€4,400€3,960until 7 Dec
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DubaiScheduled
3 – 7 Jan 2027€4,400€3,960until 14 Dec
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ErbilScheduled
10 – 14 Jan 2027€3,100€2,790until 21 Dec
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GenevaScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€6,300€5,670until 21 Dec
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HamburgScheduled
18 – 22 Jan 2027€5,800€5,220until 28 Dec
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IstanbulScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€4,700€4,230until 4 Jan
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JeddahScheduled
31 Jan – 4 Feb 2027€4,200€3,780until 11 Jan
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KigaliScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€5,100€4,590until 11 Jan
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Kuala LumpurScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€4,400€3,960until 18 Jan
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LisbonScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 18 Jan
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LondonScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€5,600€5,040until 25 Jan
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MadinahScheduled
22 – 26 Feb 2027€4,200€3,780until 1 Feb
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MadridScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€5,400€4,860until 8 Feb
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MakkahScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€4,200€3,780until 8 Feb
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ManamaScheduled
8 – 12 Mar 2027€4,700€4,230until 15 Feb
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OnlineScheduled
14 – 18 Mar 2027€1,700€1,530until 22 Feb
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MuscatScheduled
15 – 19 Mar 2027€5,300€4,770until 22 Feb
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ParisScheduled
22 – 26 Mar 2027€5,700€5,130until 1 Mar
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DubaiScheduled
24 – 28 Oct 2027€4,400€3,960until 4 Oct
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Available in: Istanbul · Dubai · London · Doha · Amsterdam

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