What is the difference between a REAR and an STR in UAE real estate?
A Real Estate Activity Report (REAR) and a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) are both filed through the goAML portal, but they serve different purposes and are triggered by different events. A REAR is a threshold-based report. It must be filed by a real estate broker or agent on every freehold purchase or sale that involves single or linked cash payments of AED 55,000 or more, any payment in virtual assets, or any payment in fiat that was converted from virtual assets. The REAR is informational and does not require a suspicion of money laundering.
An STR is intelligence-based. It must be filed without delay whenever the broker forms or should reasonably form a suspicion that funds, in whole or in part, derive from criminal activity, are linked to terrorism financing, or that a customer is structuring transactions to avoid reporting obligations, regardless of value or payment method. The two reports are independent: filing a REAR does not waive the duty to file an STR if suspicion arises, and vice versa. Both filings are protected by the tipping-off prohibition.
Legal Reference (UAE):
- MOEC Circular No. 5/2022, Paragraphs 1 to 3 set the REAR triggers; Paragraph 7 confirms that REAR does not waive STR or other reports.
- Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 18 sets the STR duty.
For more details, consult the full text of MOEC Circular 5 of 2022