What is tipping off and is it an offence under UAE AML law?
Tipping off is the act of alerting a customer or any other person that a suspicious transaction report has been or will be filed, or that authorities are conducting inquiries or an investigation. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 the information obtained in relation to suspicious transactions and to the offences under the law is confidential and may only be disclosed for permitted purposes.
Anyone who discloses such information in breach of that confidentiality commits an offence punishable by imprisonment and a fine of not less than AED 50,000, or either penalty. Compliance officers and staff must therefore handle suspicious activity discreetly, restrict knowledge of filings to those who need it, and avoid any communication that could warn a subject. Effective internal protocols and staff training are the best safeguards against an inadvertent tipping-off breach.
Legal Reference (UAE):
· Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 24 and Article 29 — impose confidentiality and penalise disclosure that tips off a subject
For more details, consult the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.