UAE regulation — CBUAE
Central Bank supervisedentities.
Banks, exchange houses, finance companies and insurers answer to the Central Bank of the UAE on AML, sanctions and customer due diligence. We supply the data, screening and evidence that keep those programmes exam-ready.
Who this covers
If you hold a Central Bank of the UAE licence, AML, sanctions and customer due-diligence expectations apply across onboarding, monitoring and reporting. The steps below are the practical order our Dubai team works through with clients.
- Commercial and Islamic banks operating in the UAE
- Exchange houses and money-service businesses
- Finance companies, brokers and insurers under Central Bank supervision
- Payment service providers within the Central Bank's perimeter
Step by step
CBUAE compliance, step by step.
- 01
Confirm your licence perimeter
Write down which licensed activities you carry out and which customer types they bring in. Everything downstream — risk appetite, screening scope, reporting — follows from that list.
- 02
Appoint and empower a compliance officer
A named compliance officer with authority to block onboarding and escalate internally. Record the appointment, reporting line and deputy arrangements.
- 03
Run an enterprise risk assessment
Score your customer base, products, delivery channels and geographies. This document justifies why some customers get standard checks and others enhanced due diligence.
- 04
Stand up customer screening
Screen every customer and beneficial owner against sanctions, PEP and adverse-media data at onboarding — we deliver this through LexisNexis WorldCompliance and Bridger Insight.
- 05
Switch on ongoing monitoring
Continuous re-screening so a customer becoming sanctioned or politically exposed surfaces immediately, with a recorded decision on every alert.
- 06
Keep the evidence pack current
Time-stamped records of searches, alerts, dispositions and periodic reviews, organised so internal audit or a supervisory review can be answered without a scramble.
What we deliver
Practical support against each requirement.
Customer screening & risk rating
Screen customers against sanctions, PEP and adverse-media sources at onboarding and on review, with risk ratings your compliance team can defend.
Ongoing monitoring
Continuous re-screening and alert workflows with documented handling, so every hit has a recorded decision and rationale.
Enhanced due diligence
Deeper reports on higher-risk customers and counterparties — corporate structure, UBO, litigation and adverse history.
Credit risk assessment
CreditNet business and consumer credit reports to support lending decisions and portfolio monitoring.
Audit trail & reporting packs
Time-stamped evidence of searches, alerts and outcomes, packaged for internal audit and supervisory review.
Staff awareness
Briefings for front-line and compliance teams on screening practice and escalation paths.
FAQs
Common questions.
What does CBUAE compliance involve in practice?
In practice it means a documented risk assessment, a named compliance officer, screening of customers and beneficial owners at onboarding, ongoing monitoring of those relationships, and records that show how each decision was reached. We supply the data, screening tools and evidence trail behind those steps.
How long does it take to stand up a CBUAE-ready screening programme?
Standard sanctions, PEP and adverse-media screening can typically be live within days of scope being agreed. Enterprise risk assessments and enhanced due-diligence workflows are scoped case by case with your compliance team.
Which businesses fall under Central Bank of the UAE supervision?
The Central Bank supervises licensed banks, exchange houses, finance companies, insurance entities and certain payment services in the UAE. If you hold a Central Bank licence, its AML and prudential expectations apply to your operations.
How often should customer screening be refreshed?
Frequency depends on your risk-based approach — higher-risk relationships are typically reviewed more often. We can set up ongoing monitoring so changes to a customer's status surface automatically between scheduled reviews.
Can you support an inspection or supervisory review?
Yes. We help you compile screening records, alert dispositions and due-diligence files into an organised evidence pack, and our Dubai team can walk reviewers through how the data was obtained.
Do you provide credit data as well as compliance screening?
Yes. Through the CreditNet platform we provide business and consumer credit reports, which complement sanctions and PEP screening for a fuller risk picture.
This page describes the services ICG MECOS provides to regulated businesses. It is not legal advice, and it does not reproduce or summarise UAE law — always refer to the published requirements of your supervisor.
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