What are the main money laundering threats identified in the UAE NRA 2024?
The 2024 National Risk Assessment identified drug trafficking and fraud as the highest money laundering threats to the UAE. Other significant threats include smuggling, counterfeiting and product piracy, cash and gold smuggling, foreign corruption, tax evasion and human trafficking. Many of these generate proceeds abroad that criminals then attempt to move through or into the UAE economy.
For regulated firms, the practical point is that these predicate offences should shape how they think about customer and transaction risk. A business that deals in high-value goods, cross-border trade or cash should treat the threats highlighted in the NRA as live risks rather than abstract categories, and calibrate its due diligence accordingly.
Legal Reference (UAE):
· UAE National Risk Assessment 2024 (NAMLCFTC): sets out the leading money laundering threats to the State.
· Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 14(2): the National Committee assesses these crime risks at the national level.
For more details, consult the full text of the National Risk Assessment or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.