UAE AML/CFT Executive Regulation — articles 1–72

The Cabinet: − Having reviewed the Constitution; − Federal Law No. (1) of 1972 Regarding the Competences of the Ministries and the Powers of Ministers, as amended; − Federal Decree by Law No. (10) of 2025 Regarding Anti-…

The definitions set forth in Federal Decree by Law No. (10) of 2025, referred to hereinabove, shall apply to this Resolution. In addition, the following terms and expressions shall have the meanings assigned to each of t…

Financial Institutions shall include any person who, as a commercial activity, carries out one or more of the following financial activities or operations for the benefit of, or on behalf of, a Customer: 1. Acceptance of…

Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) shall include any person who carries out one or more of the following commercial or professional activities or businesses: 1. Commercial Gaming Operators, incl…

Virtual Asset Activities shall include the following activities or operations: 1. Exchange between Virtual Assets and fiat currencies. 2. Exchange between one or more types of Virtual Assets. 3. Transfer of Virtual Asset…

1. Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall identify, understand, manage, and assess their crime risks in a manner proportionate to the nature and size of their business, taking into acco…

1. Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall verify the identity of the Customer and the Beneficial Owner before or during the establishment of a Business Relationship or the opening of an…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers, as applicable, shall apply Customer Due Diligence measures in the following cases: a. Upon the commence…

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall apply Customer Due Diligence measures and conduct ongoing monitoring in respect of the Business Relat…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall identify the Customer, whether permanent or occasional, and determine whether the Customer is a na…

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall take into account the risks of the Crime arising from the Customer and the Business Relationship, ide…

Where the Customer, or the controlling owner, is a company listed on a securities market that is subject to disclosure requirements ensuring sufficient transparency with respect to the identification of the Beneficial Ow…

1. In addition to the Due Diligence measures required in respect of the Customer and the Beneficial Owner, Financial Institutions shall apply Due Diligence and ongoing monitoring measures with respect to the beneficiary …

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall apply Customer Due Diligence measures to Customers and existing Business Relationships at the time th…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall be prohibited from establishing or continuing a Business Relationship or executing a Transaction w…

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall comply with the following: 1. Refraining from dealing with Shell Banks in any manner whatsoever, incl…

1. In addition to applying Customer Due Diligence measures, Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall comply with the following: a. In respect …

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall establish indicators through which they are able to identify suspicion of a Crime for the purpose of …

1. Where Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers suspect, or have reasonable grounds to suspect, that a Transaction or attempted Transaction, or fu…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers, as well as their directors, officers, and employees shall be prohibited from disclosing, whether direct…

1. Taking into account the countries identified by the National Committee as high-risk and countries with deficiencies in their anti-money laundering, combating terrorist financing, and proliferation financing systems, a…

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall have internal anti-crime policies, controls, and procedures approved by Senior Management, proportion…

Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall appoint a Compliance Officer at management level and under their responsibility, who shall have indep…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall apply Enhanced Customer Due Diligence measures proportionate to the level of risk arising from a B…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall identify and assess the risks of Money Laundering, Financing of Terrorism, and Proliferation Finan…

1. Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers shall retain all records, documents, instruments, and data relating to all domestic and international fi…

1. Prior to entering into a Correspondent Banking Relationship or any other similar relationship, Financial Institutions shall take the following measures: a. Refraining from entering into or continuing a Correspondent B…

1. Money or Value Transfer Service Providers shall be licensed by or registered with, the concerned Supervisory Authority. The Supervisory Authority shall take the necessary measures to penalize any person providing such…

1. Financial Institutions shall verify the accuracy of originator information in all international Wire Transfers equal to or exceeding the amount of three thousand five hundred dirhams (AED 3,500), and shall ensure that…

1. Intermediary Financial Institutions shall ensure that all originator and beneficiary information accompanies international Wire Transfers. 2. Where technical limitations prevent the originator and beneficiary informat…

1. Beneficiary Financial Institutions shall take Reasonable Measures to identify international Wire Transfers lacking required originator or beneficiary information, such as monitoring them during execution, where feasib…

1. Money or Value Transfer Service Providers shall comply with all relevant requirements set out in Articles (28), (29), and (30) of this Resolution, whether they conduct their activities directly or through their agents…

Financial Groups shall implement group-wide programs for combating Crime, which shall be applicable to all branches and subsidiaries in which the group holds a majority ownership. Such programs shall, in addition to what…

1. Financial Institutions shall ensure that their foreign branches and subsidiaries, in which they hold a majority interest, apply combating Crime measures in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Decree by La…

1. Non-Profit Organizations shall, in coordination with the concerned Supervisory Authority, undertake the following: a. Apply focused, proportionate, and risk-based measures approved by the concerned Supervisory Authori…

1. The Supervisory Authority responsible for Virtual Asset Service Providers may issue decisions, circulars, and procedures necessary for the adequate regulation thereof, and for determining the scope, limits, and form o…

1. Any natural or legal person conducting any Virtual Asset Service Provider activity, offering related products or services, or performing its transactions from within the State shall be licensed, registered, or listed,…

1. The Registrar shall be responsible for registering all Companies and for providing information relating thereto and making such information publicly available, as follows: a. A description of their various types or fo…

1. Companies shall be required to obtain and retain the following: a. The Basic Information referred to in Paragraph (b) of Clause (1) of Article (9) of this Resolution, together with the Up-To-Date information of the No…

Subject to the legislation in force in the State, and for the purposes of preventing and mitigating Crime risks, a Nominee Director or Nominee Shareholder shall notify the company of their capacity, disclose thereto the …

The Registrar, Companies, persons responsible for their management or liquidation, and any other persons concerned with the dissolution of a company, shall retain the records and all information referred to in Articles (…

1. The competent authorities responsible for regulating Legal Arrangements shall have mechanisms available to: a. Identify the various types, forms, and essential characteristics of Legal Arrangements; b. Determine and d…

Banking secrecy, professional secrecy, or contractual liability may not be invoked to prevent the application of the provisions of the Decree by Law and this Resolution in the following cases: 1. Exchange of information …

1. The Concerned Authorities, in particular the Public Prosecution, Law Enforcement Authorities, and the Unit, shall obtain, as swiftly and effectively as possible, the basic information referred to in Paragraph (b) of C…

1. The Unit shall operate as the national center for receiving Suspicious Transaction reports and other information relating to the Crime, analyzing such information, and disseminating the results of such analysis to Law…

The Unit shall have the following competences: 1. Establishing its organizational structure and internal regulations, which shall include procedures to ensure the efficiency and integrity of its staff, to define their re…

In carrying out its functions in relation to Suspicious Transaction reports, the Unit shall have the following competences: 1. Receive reports from Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers in a…

For the purpose of performing its functions at the international level, the Unit shall have the following competences: 1. Exchanging information, both spontaneously and upon request, with counterpart units, regardless of…

The competences of the National Committee shall be expanded to include the following: 1. Identifying, assessing, and understanding Crime risks at the national level, including risks arising from the development of new pr…

The competences of Supervisory Authorities shall be expanded to include the following: 1. Identifying and assessing Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Proliferation Financing risks that may arise from the develop…

The Supervisory Authority for Non-Profit Organizations shall have the following competences: 1. Obtaining available information from all competent authorities regarding the activities of Non-Profit Organizations from rel…

1. The Chief of the Unit may order the suspension or cessation of a Transaction suspected of being related to the Crime, immediately and without prior notice, for a period not exceeding ten (10) working days, based on th…

1. The Public Prosecution and the competent court, as the case may be, may order, without prior notice, the identification, tracing, valuation, seizure, or freezing of Criminal Funds or Property, or Funds of equivalent v…

1. The Public Prosecution and the competent court, as the case may be, may: a. Assign the accused, the owner, holder, or manager of Funds, or any other person deemed appropriate, to estimate and manage Criminal Funds or …

1. Orders to freeze Funds held by Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, or Virtual Asset Service Providers shall be executed solely by the competent Supervisory Authority or the Unit, as the case may be. 2. Financial Instituti…

1. The Public Prosecution, on its own initiative or at the request of Law Enforcement Authorities, where sufficient indications of a Crime exist, may order the search of persons and premises, prohibit suspects from trave…

1. Concerned Authorities shall cooperate and exchange expertise and information among themselves, including tax information, to enhance efforts for Anti-Money Laundering, and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Prol…

In applying the provisions of this Chapter, due regard shall be given to the legislation in force in the State and the provisions of treaties or agreements to which the State is a party, or the principle of reciprocity.

For the purpose of requesting and executing international cooperation requests relating to the Crime, the Concerned Authorities shall: 1. Provide the widest possible range of international cooperation promptly, construct…

The Concerned Authorities shall give priority to all international cooperation requests, particularly those relating to the Crime, and shall execute them urgently and without undue delay through clear and secure procedur…

1. International cooperation requests shall not be refused or subjected to unreasonable or unjustified conditions that restrict their execution. In all cases, such requests shall not be refused on the grounds of any of t…

The Concerned Authorities shall exchange Crime-related information with competent foreign authorities, and in doing so, they may: 1. Exchange information indirectly with non-counterpart foreign authorities, provided that…

1. The Concerned Authorities shall exchange information relating to Companies and Legal Arrangements with competent foreign authorities without imposing unjustified restrictive conditions. This cooperation shall include …

The Supervisory Authority for Financial Institutions shall: 1. Exchange Crime-related information that it holds or has access to, directly or indirectly, with foreign counterpart authorities, regardless of their nature, …

1. The Concerned Authorities shall apply the provisions of this Chapter in exchanging information and executing international cooperation requests relating to Crimes involving Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Pro…

The Law Enforcement Authorities shall: 1. Exchange information that they hold or have access to, directly or indirectly, including disclosure system and customs information, with foreign counterpart authorities for detec…

Competent judicial authorities shall, upon request from judicial authorities of another country with which the State has a valid agreement, or on the basis of reciprocity, promptly, and in a constructive, and effective m…

International judicial cooperation requests relating to judgments or judicial orders providing for seizure, freezing, or other provisional measures, or confiscation in all its forms of Criminal Property or funds of equiv…

Execution of judgments or judicial orders referred to in Article (67) of this Resolution, shall be subject to the condition that it does not conflict with a judgment or order previously issued by a court in the State, an…

1. Competent judicial authorities may request judicial assistance from judicial authorities of another country to uncover the Crime, its circumstances, and perpetrators, and to identify, trace, evaluate, freeze, seize, o…

Cabinet Resolution No. (10) of 2019, referred to herein, is hereby repealed, and any provision that contradicts or conflicts with the provisions of this Resolution is also repealed.

This Resolution shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force thirty (30) days after the date of its publication.