The United Arab Emirates holds an advanced position as a global financial and commercial hub, which makes protecting its financial system from financial crime a national priority. At the heart of these efforts stands the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organizations, as the country's principal coordinating authority. In what follows, we explain the role of this committee and its work, introduce the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the country's relationship with it, and review the most notable official figures published by the competent authorities.

What Is the Role of the UAE National Committee for Combating Money Laundering, and What Is Its Relationship with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)?

First: What Is the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering?

According to what the committee publishes on its official website, the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organizations is the principal authority responsible for setting the policies and legislation connected with efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing in the country, and it is the main coordinating body supported in its work by a number of entities both domestically and internationally.

The committee was established and operates under the national legislative framework for combating money laundering. Pursuant to a Cabinet decision — and on the basis of Federal Decree-Law No. (7) of 2024 amending certain provisions of Decree-Law No. (20) of 2018 — the National Committee replaced the Executive Office for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in all rights and obligations, and the committee is chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE.

Second: What Is the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)?

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is — as the National Committee defines it on its website — a multi-governmental body founded on the initiative of the G7 in 1989 to develop anti-money-laundering policies, with its mandate subsequently expanded in 2001 to include terrorism financing. The Task Force works to set international standards and to assess the extent of countries' compliance with them, and among its most prominent outputs are the “Forty Recommendations” issued in 2012.

Third: The UAE's Relationship with FATF and Removal from the Grey List

The country is linked to the FATF system through its commitment to applying its recommendations and submitting to assessment of its degree of compliance. When FATF places a country under “increased monitoring” (popularly known as the “grey list”), this means — per the National Committee's definition — that the country has undertaken to act swiftly to address specific strategic weaknesses within an agreed timeframe, while remaining subject to enhanced monitoring. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that FATF removed the United Arab Emirates from the increased-monitoring list in February 2024.

Fourth: Official Figures — National System Performance Indicators for 2025

The National Committee announced the details of the national system's performance indicators for 2025, as adopted by the Higher Committee Overseeing the National Strategy. The most notable figures, as officially reported (cited by the Emirates News Agency, WAM), are set out below.

In the area of beneficial ownership transparency, the country recorded tangible progress, with an improvement rate of 91.7% compared with the previous year. Risk-based inspections likewise rose by 54.2%, from 155,000 to 239,000, and inquiries relating to beneficial ownership increased by 43.3% to reach 3,300 inquiries.

Fifth: International Cooperation in Figures

According to the official 2025 indicators, the country strengthened its standing as a trusted global partner, as incoming cooperation requests through the channels of judicial cooperation, law enforcement, and financial intelligence rose compared with the previous year:

The General Secretariat of the National Committee — in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — also held 15 meetings of national expert teams with a number of FATF member states, helping to enhance the exchange of technical expertise and to develop risk-based cooperation.

Sixth: Combating Terrorism Financing in Figures

In the area of combating terrorism financing, and according to the official 2025 indicators, suspicious reports relating to terrorism financing rose by 62%, from 158 to 256 reports. In addition, 56 investigations were recorded in terrorism financing cases, 85.7% of which were linked to natural persons.

Seventh: What Is the Crime of Money Laundering? (The Official Definition)

The National Committee explains that the perpetrator of the crime of money laundering is anyone who, knowing that funds are the proceeds of a felony or a misdemeanor, deliberately commits one of the following acts:

Eighth: The International Initiatives Adopted by the State

The National Committee notes that the country adopts and implements various international and regional initiatives to counter financial crime, including: FATF's Forty Recommendations of 2012; the Core Principles issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to prevent the use of the banking system for criminal purposes; the European Union directives on the prevention of the use of the banking system for the purpose of money laundering; and the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime.

Frequently Asked Questions

References and Official Sources

• The National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organizations — official website: namlcftc.gov.ae.
• The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mofa.gov.ae): the announcement of the UAE's removal from FATF's increased-monitoring list (February 2024); the launch of the National Strategy 2024–2027; and the National Committee's replacement of the Executive Office pursuant to Federal Decree-Law No. (7) of 2024.
• National system performance indicators for 2025, adopted by the Higher Committee Overseeing the National Strategy, as reported by the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
• Federal Decree-Law No. (20) of 2018 and its amendments on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and illegal organizations.