GCC regulations / Law or regulation

UAE anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework

AML/CFT obligations for UAE financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses, including goAML reporting.

UAE AML/CFT legislation and its implementing Cabinet decisions require financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) (such as real estate agents, dealers in precious metals and stones, and corporate service providers) to perform risk assessments, customer due diligence, sanctions screening, ongoing monitoring and suspicious transaction reporting to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit through goAML.

We build risk-based AML/CFT programmes, enterprise-wide risk assessments, policies and training, and run independent AML reviews.

Who it is for

  • Banks, exchange houses and payment providers
  • DNFBPs: real estate, precious metals, corporate services, auditors
  • Virtual asset service providers

What you gain

  • Supervisor-ready AML programmes
  • Consistent goAML reporting
  • Effective sanctions screening

How we get you compliant

  1. Applicability and scoping

    Confirm whether and how the law applies to you, entities, data, systems, roles and territories.

  2. Data and process mapping

    Build a record of processing or control inventory so obligations can be tied to real systems and owners.

  3. Gap assessment

    Measure current practice against each obligation and rank the gaps by legal and business risk.

  4. Remediation roadmap

    Policies, notices, contracts, technical controls and governance, sequenced so the highest risks close first.

  5. Evidence and ongoing monitoring

    A compliance calendar, metrics and periodic reviews so you can demonstrate compliance to a regulator or customer at any time.

UAE AML/CFT questions

Who supervises DNFBPs in the UAE?
Supervision depends on the business type and jurisdiction, for example the Ministry of Economy for many mainland DNFBPs, with financial free-zone regulators supervising their own firms.

Ready to start on UAE AML/CFT?

Tell us which standard or customer requirement you are facing. In a free 30-minute call we will outline the gaps, a realistic timeline and what it will take to be audit-ready.