The Chief of the Financial Intelligence Unit holds significant provisional powers to interrupt suspected criminal transactions before a full investigation. These powers can be exercised without prior notice to the customer.
The Chief may order the cessation or temporary suspension of any transaction suspected of being linked to the crime for a period not exceeding ten working days, based on the Unit’s analysis of suspicious transaction reports or information from domestic or international sources. Separately, the Chief may order the freezing of suspect funds held with a financial institution, DNFBP or virtual asset service provider for a period not exceeding thirty days, which the Attorney General or their delegate may extend. Regulated entities must give effect to these orders and must lift a freeze once it is cancelled or expires without extension. Because these instructions can arrive at short notice, entities should have a clear internal process for receiving, actioning and evidencing them.
Legal Reference (UAE):
Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 5 — the Unit’s power to suspend transactions for up to ten working days and to freeze funds for up to thirty days.
For more details, consult the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.
The Financial Intelligence Unit has two distinct short-term powers, and they work at different lengths. The Chief of the Unit may order the cessation or temporary suspension of any transaction suspected of being related to the crime, without prior notice, for a period not exceeding ten working days. Separately, the Chief may order the freezing of funds suspected of being related to the crime and held with a financial institution, a designated non-financial business or profession, or a virtual asset service provider, for a period not exceeding thirty days.
Both powers rest on the Unit’s own analysis of suspicious transaction reports and other information it receives, including from counterpart units abroad, so they can bite before any prosecution exists. The thirty-day freeze may be extended by the Attorney General or their delegate. The regulated entity holding the funds must lift the freeze when the Chief cancels the order or when the period expires without extension, which means an entity should diarise the expiry rather than leave a freeze running indefinitely.
· Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 5(2), under which the Chief of the Unit may freeze suspected funds for up to thirty days, subject to extension by the Attorney General or their delegate.