Page 227 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - JULY 2025

UAE: Over 1,000 violators caught, fines exceeding

Dh42m for AML violations

Ministry of Economy and Tourism targets DNFBPs in AML compliance crackdown
Last updated: July 24, 2025 | 14:00

Abdulla Rasheed, Editor - Abu Dhabi

2 MIN READ

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.

https://gulfnews.com/business/banking/uae-over-1000-violators-caught-fines-exceeding-dh42m-
for-aml-violations-1.500209622