FCA expands global presence with new attachés in India and UAE
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority appointed two new financial services attachés for India and the UAE to strengthen international cooperation and investment ties.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has appointed Sabina Saini and Darine Obeid as financial services attachés for India and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. Saini will be based at the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai, while Obeid will be stationed at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Their roles will expand the FCA’s global network, which already includes attachés in Washington DC, Brussels, Singapore, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Ruairí O’Connell OBE, the FCA’s director of international, highlighted the strategic importance of these appointments. He stated that the new attachés will advance UK financial services policy interests and facilitate investment into the UK’s open market. O’Connell emphasized the FCA’s role as a globally connected regulator and its commitment to international collaboration in financial regulation.
Sabina Saini began her role on 10 August 2026, bringing nearly two decades of experience in financial regulation, audit, and banking. Her prior work at the FCA included leading the UK’s critical third parties regime and operational risk and resilience policy. Before joining the FCA in 2024, she spent over eight years at the Bank of England, focusing on prudential supervision and risk.
Darine Obeid will start on 31 August 2026, having spent more than a decade at the FCA specializing in supervision across retail banking, wholesale banking, and fintech. Her expertise includes financial crime, operational resilience, AI, and customer outcomes, where she led high-profile engagement initiatives.