What We Are Empowered to Do

The UAEFIU Mandate

According to Federal Decree-Law No. (10) of 2025 on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism and Proliferation Financing and its Executive Regulation, the Financial Intelligence Unit of the UAE shall have competence over the following

1
Receive reports from Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers in accordance with the forms approved by the Unit, examine, analyze, and retain such reports in its database.
2
Request Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, Virtual Asset Service Providers, and Concerned Authorities to provide any additional information or documents relating to the reports and information received by the Unit, as well as any other information it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.
3
Analyze reports and available information through operational analysis to identify specific targets, trace activities or transactions, and identify links to potential criminal property, as well as strategic analysis to identify Crime trends and patterns.
4
Provide Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers with feedback on reports received by the Unit to enhance the effectiveness of Crime combating measures and the detection and reporting of money laundering, related predicate offences, terrorist financing or proliferation financing and detect suspicious transactions.
5
Cooperate and coordinate with the Supervisory Authority by referring the results of its analyses relating to the quality of reports received, in order to ensure compliance by Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, and Virtual Asset Service Providers with the procedures for combating money laundering, related predicate offences, terrorist financing or proliferation financing.
6
Use dedicated, secure, and protected channels to disseminate report-related data, analysis results, and other relevant information to Law Enforcement Authorities, where sufficient grounds exist to suspect a link to suspect its connection to money laundering, related predicate offences, terrorist financing or proliferation financing, to take required actions in that regard.
7
Use dedicated, secure, and protected channels to provide the Public Prosecution and Law Enforcement Authorities with information relating to Crime, including information obtained from Financial Intelligence Units in other countries, whether spontaneously or upon request.
8
Exchange information, both spontaneously and upon request, with counterpart units and other foreign competent authorities responsible for the suspension or cessation of Transactions suspected of being related to Crime, and conclude Memoranda of Understanding to regulate cooperation and the exchange of information. Such information shall be used only for the purposes of combatting money laundering, related predicate offences, terrorist financing or proliferation financing and shall not be disclosed to third parties without the UAEFIU's permission.
9
Establish a database or special register for the information available thereto, and protect such information through information security and confidentiality controls, including cybersecurity measures and procedures for processing, storing, and disseminating information.
10
Provide training courses and programs for the training and qualification of its staff and any other entity, whether within or outside the State.
11
Prepare studies, research and statistics related to money laundering, related predicate offences, terrorist financing or proliferation financing, and follow up on any studies, research or statistics conducted domestically or internationally in this regard.
12
Preparing annual reports about its activities that include specifically general analysis of STRs and other reports received as well as activities and trends of the Crime, and preparing a brief of this report for dissemination purposes.
13
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 the Unit's analysis of Suspicious Transaction reports, information, or requests received from domestic or international sources.
14
Order the freezing of funds suspected of being linked to a Crime held by Financial Institutions, DNFBPs, or Virtual Asset Service Providers, without prior notice, for a period of thirty (30) days, based on the Unit's analysis of Suspicious Transaction reports and other information received thereby.