UAE: Over 1,000 violators caught, fines exceeding Dh42m for AML violations

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has announced the outcomes of its inspection campaigns carried out during the first half of 2025 to monitor the private sector’s compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) legal requirements. These efforts resulted in the detection of 1,063 violations and the imposition of administrative penalties exceeding Dh42 million.

The inspection campaigns targeted entities operating within the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) sector, as part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the national compliance framework in line with international best practices and global standards for combating financial crimes.

The Ministry explained that the recorded violations spanned the four DNFBP categories under its supervision. These included 473 violations amounting to Dh20 million issued to entities operating in the precious metals and gemstones trade sector. Additionally, 495 violations totaling approximately Dh18.5 million were issued to real estate brokerage firms, while another 95 violations amounting to over Dh4 million targeted corporate service providers and auditors.

Safeya Hashem Al Safi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Commercial Control and Governance Sector at the Ministry, emphasized that these results reflect the Ministry’s progress in developing a robust regulatory system based on an advanced methodology aimed at ensuring the highest levels of compliance with AML legislation across DNFBP sectors. This includes a clearly defined mechanism for both desk and field inspections.

She noted that these inspection efforts are part of the Ministry’s broader strategy to build a transparent and well-governed business environment, and to activate proactive oversight tools to mitigate money laundering and terrorism financing risks — reinforcing the UAE’s position as a trusted global economic hub committed to the highest international standards of compliance and governance.

Al Safi added that the violations were identified based on technical indicators and predefined regulatory criteria. She explained that the primary objective of imposing administrative penalties is to encourage entities to rectify their status and enhance their internal systems — particularly with regard to implementing due diligence measures, improving risk assessments, and strengthening the reporting of suspicious transactions.

Through these efforts, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism aims to promote a culture of preventive compliance and foster genuine institutional awareness across targeted sectors. It continues to conduct follow-up assessments and field evaluations to ensure full adherence to relevant legislation.

The Ministry urged all entities subject to AML regulations to take this opportunity to upgrade their compliance frameworks and align fully with regulatory requirements, affirming its continued commitment to carrying out inspection campaigns according to a meticulous oversight plan based on global best practices.