Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the emirate’s international financial centre, has enacted its new laws on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing.
The new rules, which followed a lengthy consultation period, are part of a concerted effort in the UAE to address financial crime.
It faces an assessment later this year from the Financial Action Task Force, the global body responsible for upholding international policies on money laundering and financial crime.
Its last assessment came in 2008 and while the UAE received a “satisfactory” report, the risk of falling below this level has been enough to spur the UAE’s various financial services bodies into action.
The Dubai government enacted changes to its anti-money laundering rules in October 2018 while federal legislation was amended earlier this year.
According to the ADGM, the changes will align its anti-money laundering rules with federal laws and will require ADGM-registered businesses to comply within 12 months.
“These amendments reflect ADGM’s commitment as an international financial centre to provide a safe regulatory environment and adopt a stringent and effective financial crime prevention supervisory framework, which supports the UAE’s efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing activities,” said Richard Teng, chief executive of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM.
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