What is name transliteration?
Name transliteration in AML is converting a person’s or entity’s name between writing systems—especially Arabic and Latin—so screening is not limited to an exact Unicode string.
Why KSA and MENA programs care
The same person may appear as Arabic legal name on a national ID and Latin on a card or SWIFT field. Exact-match-only screening misses that. Fuzzy matching and alternate names are the operational answer.
What to send the API
Send the fullest legal name you have in the script you collected, plus aliases when your KYC file has them. Date of birth and nationality reduce false possibles. Persist the screening id.
Transliteration and fuzzy matching
Naiza combines name normalization with fuzzy matching against official watchlists, returning match confidence and structured context so review teams can verify name variations.
Frequently asked questions
Answers about screening, risk signals, and Naiza integration.
Does AML screening work on Arabic names?
Yes. Naiza normalizes Arabic and Latin names and uses fuzzy matching to review spelling variants. Send the original name and known aliases, with date of birth or nationality when available, and retain the match context.
Is transliteration the same as translation?
No. Transliteration maps letters. Translation maps meaning. Watchlists care about how the name is written, not a translated nickname.
Should we latinize every Arabic name before screening?
Prefer sending the original plus known aliases rather than a single lossy latinization. A bad conversion creates both misses and false possibles.