October brought something significant to the UAE that affects everyone living and working here. The UAE new financial crime law, officially called Federal Decree Law No. 10 of 2025, took effect on October 14 and completely replaces the old 2018 law. This isn’t just legal paperwork, the law directly impacts how safe your money stays and how trusted the country’s economy remains.
When you send money home, buy property, or even donate to charity, the UAE new financial crime law works behind the scenes protecting those transactions from criminals trying to exploit the system.
Why This UAE New Financial Crime Law Matters to You?
The UAE new financial crime law addresses something everyone cares about but rarely thinks about, keeping dirty money out of the honest economy[attached]. Financial crime drives up property prices, threatens jobs, and damages the reputation of the economy providing opportunities for millions who call the UAE home.
Key protections from UAE new financial crime law:
- Stops criminals from inflating real estate prices with dirty money
- Protects businesses from unfair competition by criminal enterprises
- Secures banking transactions for regular residents
- Maintains the UAE’s global financial reputation
- Strengthens job stability across honest businesses.
This crime law aligns the country with FATF (Financial Action Task Force standards, earning the UAE a rating of 39 out of 40 on FATF compliance, among the highest scores globally.
What Changed Under UAE New Financial Crime Law?
This law introduces tougher rules and serious consequences:
New criminal offenses:
- Financing weapons of mass destruction now criminalized
- Using virtual assets or encryption for terrorism financing banned
- Tax evasion added as predicate crime for money laundering
- Knowingly letting others use your bank account for crimes made illegal
- Providing false beneficial ownership information criminalized
Under the UAE new financial crime law, prosecutors no longer need to prove someone actually knew funds were criminal”sufficient evidence or circumstantial evidence” works now. This means if you should have known something illegal was happening, that’s enough for prosecution.
Tougher Penalties in UAE New Financial Crime Law
The UAE new financial crime law dramatically increases fines and punishments:
Individual penalties:
- Imprisonment: 5 to 10 years for serious violations
- Fines: AED 5 million to AED 50 million
- Some fines now match double the criminal property value
- No upper limit on fines for certain offenses like “tipping off”
Corporate penalties:
- Companies face fines up to AED 100 million (doubled from AED 50 million)
- Managers personally liable if they knew about crimes or breached duties
- License revocations possible
- Asset freezes authorized
The UAE new financial crime law recently resulted in real enforcement, CBUAE fined one foreign bank AED 5.9 million and revoked multiple precious metals dealer licenses for violations.
Enhanced Powers Under UAE New Financial Crime Law
The Financial Intelligence Unit gained serious muscle through the UAE new financial crime law:
New FIU capabilities:
- Freeze funds for 30 days instead of just 7 days
- Public Prosecutor can extend freezes even further
- Suspend transactions for 10 working days without notice
- Exchange information with international counterparts
- Issue immediate freezing orders
Virtual Assets Covered by UAE New Financial Crime Law
The UAE new financial crime law specifically targets the crypto and virtual asset world:
Virtual Asset Service Provider requirements:
- Registration and licensing mandatory
- Ongoing supervision required
- Full compliance with AML obligations
- Customer due diligence enforced
- Suspicious transaction reporting compulsory
- Privacy-enhancing products that fully conceal identity banned
Beneficial Ownership Transparency
The UAE new financial crime law requires accurate beneficial ownership information for all legal entities[attached]. This prevents shell companies from hiding dirty money and ensures when you invest in UAE property or do business here, you’re operating on a level playing field[attached].
Prices reflect genuine market value instead of inflated figures driven by illicit funds under the UAE new financial crime law. The UAE’s new financial crime law recognises charity work while providing oversight to prevent misuse. Proportionate supervision ensures donations reach intended beneficiaries and UAE humanitarian organisations can continue vital work without exploitation.
What This Means for Regular People?
For average residents and business owners, the UAE new financial crime law means greater confidence in the financial system used daily[attached]. Property purchases aren’t inflated by dirty money. Companies compete fairly rather than getting undercut by criminal enterprises. Money transfers home stay protected by world-class systems.
The UAE new financial crime law reinforces the foundation making the UAE a jurisdiction where legitimate opportunity thrives and financial crime finds no refuge.
As the country prepares for FATF’s 2026 mutual evaluation, the UAE new financial crime law demonstrates commitment to financial integrity, protecting economic security and quality of life that makes the UAE home to millions.
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