The United Arab Emirates’ new anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework (Federal Decree Law No. 10 of 2025), enacted last year, moves beyond the traditional focus on money laundering and terrorist financing. It introduces new categories of criminal offenses, harsher penalties and sanctions, and new compliance requirements for entities and individuals.
The framework now extends beyond traditional financial services to sectors such as real estate, logistics, construction, trade, manufacturing, virtual assets, and even nonprofits. Regulators now have new powers to freeze assets without prior notice. In addition, statutory time limits for financial crimes no longer apply.
