Who supervises UAE law firms for AML compliance?
For most law firms and legal consultancy offices licensed on the UAE mainland, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism act as the AML supervisory authorities, coordinated nationally by the Executive Office for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing. Firms licensed in a financial free zone such as ADGM or DIFC are supervised by that zone’s own regulator instead.
The supervisor inspects firms, reviews their policies and controls, and can impose administrative penalties for non-compliance. It also issues sector circulars and guidance that firms are expected to implement, for example updates to high-risk country lists and reminders to keep AML policies and procedures current. Firms should confirm which authority regulates them and monitor that authority’s circulars, because obligations and portals differ between mainland and free-zone supervision.
Legal Reference (UAE):
· Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 17 - empowers the Supervisory Authority to inspect DNFBPs and impose administrative penalties.
· Ministry of Economy and Tourism - financial crimes legislation - the supervisory authority pages for mainland DNFBPs.
For more details, consult the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.