Is proliferation financing a crime under UAE law?
Yes. Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 expressly criminalises proliferation financing. A person commits the crime where they intentionally provide, collect or make available funds, directly or indirectly, knowing they will be used for the manufacture, possession, acquisition, development, sale, supply, transport, storage or use of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery, or related dual-use materials.
The law also captures any act required to give effect to United Nations Security Council resolutions issued under Chapter VII concerning the prevention and suppression of proliferation and its financing. Knowledge can be inferred from the factual and objective circumstances, so prosecutors do not need a confession of intent.
For regulated entities this means proliferation financing risk must be built into the enterprise risk assessment and ongoing monitoring, not treated as a remote concern. Screening against sanctions and dual-use goods red flags, scrutinising trade finance and complex shipping arrangements, and applying targeted financial sanctions instructions promptly are central controls. A conviction for proliferation financing carries temporary imprisonment and a fine of between one million and ten million dirhams, or twice the value of the criminal property.
Legal Reference (UAE):
ยท Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 3 defines and criminalises proliferation financing; Article 26 sets the penalty of temporary imprisonment and a fine up to AED 10 million
For more details, consult the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.