04 — Compliance

Inspection-ready.
Always.

Outsourced MLRO, Compliance Officer and Finance Officer services for DFSA, FSRA, SCA, CBUAE and DNFBP-regulated firms — across DIFC, ADGM and the wider UAE. Inspection-ready compliance, always.

What we provide

Compliance services
built for UAE regulators.

Regulated firms need specific officer roles filled, training maintained, reports submitted and audits conducted — across multiple regulators with different rule sets. We handle every one of those, on an outsourced or co-sourced basis.

Regulators we cover

Specialists across every UAE regulator.

We hold deep expertise across all major UAE financial-sector regulators — and the broad DNFBP space governed by the Ministry of Economy.

Whether you're a DFSA Cat 4 advisory firm, an FSRA Cat 3C asset manager, an SCA-licensed broker, or a DNFBP gold dealer — we've done the work before.

DFSAFSRASCACBUAEMinistry of Economy (DNFBPs)VARA
UAE compliance landscape

The UAE compliance
obligation matrix.

UAE compliance obligations are layered. Federal AML obligations apply across all UAE entities through Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering, supplemented by Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2019. Sector-specific rules apply on top — DFSA, FSRA, SCA and CBUAE for financial services; the Ministry of Economy for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs).

DNFBP obligations

The Ministry of Economy regulates DNFBPs — real estate agents, gold and precious metals dealers, accountants and auditors, lawyers, and corporate service providers. DNFBPs must register on the goAML platform, conduct customer due diligence (CDD), report suspicious transactions (STRs), and undergo periodic supervision. Penalties for non-compliance range from AED 50,000 to AED 5,000,000 per offence.

Financial services compliance

Financial services firms regulated by DFSA (DIFC), FSRA (ADGM), SCA (federal) and CBUAE face additional compliance obligations beyond AML — conduct of business rules, prudential rules, market integrity rules, data protection rules and (for some) cybersecurity rules. Each regulator has its own rulebook running to thousands of pages.

How we engage

From kick-off to
regulator-ready in 60 days.

Compliance health check

We start with a structured health check against your regulator's rulebook — DFSA, FSRA, SCA, CBUAE or DNFBP framework. Output: gap analysis with risk-rated findings.

Programme design

Compliance policies, AML manual, CDD procedures, STR escalation, sanctions screening framework, training programme — all tailored to your risk profile and rulebook.

Implementation

Roll out the programme. Train your team. Set up transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and recordkeeping. Conduct first round of testing.

Ongoing operation

Day-to-day compliance via our outsourced MLRO, Compliance Officer, Finance Officer or Risk Officer services — or a combination.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

Who needs AML compliance in the UAE?+
All UAE financial institutions and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) must comply with UAE AML laws. DNFBPs include real estate agents, gold dealers, accountants and auditors, lawyers, and corporate service providers. The Ministry of Economy registers and supervises DNFBPs; financial regulators (DFSA, FSRA, SCA, CBUAE) supervise their licensees.
What is goAML?+
goAML is the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit's online platform for filing suspicious transaction reports (STRs) and suspicious activity reports (SARs). All UAE-regulated entities and DNFBPs must register on goAML and use it for reporting.
What are the penalties for AML non-compliance?+
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 and Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2019, AML penalties range from AED 50,000 to AED 5,000,000 per offence. For serious violations, regulators can also suspend or revoke licences and impose imprisonment on responsible individuals.
Can I outsource my AML compliance function?+
Yes — UAE regulators including DFSA, FSRA and SCA permit outsourcing of the MLRO, Compliance Officer, Finance Officer and Risk Officer roles, subject to outsourcing controls. Ministry of Economy supervised DNFBPs can also outsource their compliance function. The outsourced provider remains under the firm's oversight.
How often should AML risk assessments be updated?+
UAE regulators expect AML/CFT risk assessments to be updated at least annually, or whenever there is a material change in business activities, customer base, products, geography or regulatory environment. We typically refresh client risk assessments annually with quarterly mini-reviews.
Let's Talk

Stay inspection-ready without the headcount.

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