ChatGPT said:
The United Arab Emirates has enacted a new Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 to strengthen oversight of financial crimes, replacing the 2018 Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing framework. The law introduces stricter compliance rules and expands the scope of offences to include proliferation financing the funding of weapons of mass destruction and activities involving virtual assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Under the new framework, authorities can now infer intent or knowledge of wrongdoing, reducing the evidentiary burden required for prosecution. It also establishes a Supreme Committee to oversee national AML and Counter-Financing of Terrorism strategies, ensuring stronger coordination across financial and law enforcement bodies. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has been granted broader powers to freeze or suspend suspicious transactions for up to 30 days, compared to the previous seven-day limit.
The law significantly raises penalties, doubling fines for corporate entities to AED 100 million and holding executives personally accountable for compliance failures. It also enhances international cooperation, allowing UAE authorities to enforce foreign confiscation orders even without domestic investigations.
This legislation follows the UAE’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list earlier in 2024, signaling continued progress toward global financial transparency standards. Officials say the law aims to deter illicit finance, improve investor confidence, and protect the UAE’s reputation as a secure financial hub. For businesses, it underscores the need to strengthen compliance systems, conduct rigorous due diligence, and report suspicious transactions promptly.
