Understanding who an organisation is doing business with remains one of the central objectives of an effective AML/CFT framework. For corporate customers, this extends beyond verifying registration details and reviewing documentation. It requires developing a clear understanding of ownership, control, business purpose, and the risks associated with the relationship. 

During our recent webinar, The Complete Corporate KYC Journey: Information, Verification & Risk Assessment, participants explored the practical considerations that underpin Corporate KYC within the UAE AML/CFT framework. The session examined how organisations can approach customer due diligence in a manner that balances regulatory expectations with operational practicality, particularly as ownership structures become increasingly layered and complex. 

Key areas discussed during the webinar included: 

• The role of Corporate KYC within the UAE AML/CFT framework 

• Important considerations when assessing corporate entities and business relationships 

• Ownership structures and beneficial ownership identification 

• Risk assessment considerations and indicators of elevated risk 

• Circumstances that may warrant Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) 

• A live demonstration of the Corporate KYC Compliance Tool and its guided methodology 

• Practical applications for onboarding, quality assurance, staff development, and inspection readiness 

In conclusion, the discussion reinforced a simple but important principle: while documents establish identity, understanding ownership, control, and risk is what enables meaningful due diligence. It is this understanding that transforms Corporate KYC from a regulatory obligation into a foundation for primed decision-making. 

Good compliance has always been shaped by good processes, and individual KYC onboarding remained one of the most important areas to approach with structure and precision. 

To support the UAE AML compliance community, AMLUAE and NIYEAHMA introduced the free, web-based Individual KYC Compliance Tool through a live webinar session that explored the tool in detail through a guided walkthrough and demonstration. 

Built in line with the UAE’s current KYC and CDD requirements, the tool was designed to help make individual onboarding more structured, consistent, and audit-ready in practice. 

What the Session Covered: 

• Common pain points in individual onboarding and the reasons they continued to persist
• The regulatory framework underpinning the tool, including Federal Decree Law No. 10 of 2025, Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, and theMoET CDD Implementation Guide 
• The complete 5-Step Wizard covering Personal Identity, Identity Documents, Address and Employment, Business Relationship, and Summary and Risk Rating 
• How the tool separated data collection from risk assessment to support a more deliberate onboarding process 
• A live demonstration of the tool in action 
• Practical applications across inspection preparation, staff training, process benchmarking, and active onboarding workflows 

About the Tool: 

• Free and web-based, with no sign-in requirement
• Built in line with applicable UAE AML/CFT regulations
• Designed with step-by-step guidance, built-in compliance reasoning, and red flag indicators 
• Applicable across DNFBPs and regulated entities operating in the UAE 

The session brought together professionals from across the compliance community, creating a practical discussion around structured onboarding and regulatory alignment within the UAE’s evolving AML/CFT landscape. 

Want to know how the Know Your Customer (KYC) process works in UAE?

Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about KYC fundamentals, from rules to real results. Master core KYC components in minutes.

In this video, we throw light on core essentials of KYC:

• Central AML/CFT regulatory framework in UAE
• What does KYC mean under UAE’s federal laws
• Key requirements to conduct KYC
• Generic pitfalls experienced while undertaking KYC measures
• Steps for customer identification and verification
• Process to identify UBOs and Controlling Persons in corporate customers
• Tips to recognize shell companies during customer onboarding
• Clues to spot red flags while doing KYC
• Circumstances and timing for Re-KYC
• Record-Keeping and Reporting Obligations
• Penalties for non-compliance and how to avoid them
• Best Practices to ensure smooth navigation of KYC procedure

This session serves as a go-to guide to businesses for successful customer identification and verification.

Stay ahead in compliance with AML UAE expert insights on AML/CFT regulations, obligations, and best practices in the UAE and beyond.

Businesses in the UAE are required to maintain robust and risk-based AML/CFT and CPF policies and controls.  

Our in-house AML Expert, Dipali Vora, broached upon the subject of  

• FATF Basics, such as what FATF is and its primary objectives 
  • What are FATF Grey  List and Blacklist 
  • Reasons for Grey List Updates 
• FATF Grey List Update and its Impact on Compliance Obligations​ 
• Action Items for FIs, DNFBPs and VASPs consequent to changes in the FATF Grey List in the context of the following AML, CFT and CPF Control Measures such as: 
  • Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessment (EWRA)  
  • AML/CFT/CPF Policies and Procedures 
  • Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Measures Concerning Customers or Suppliers Associated with FATF Greylisted Jurisdictions 
  • Recalibrating Configuration of AML Software Solutions 
• Challenges and Best Practices when integrating Grey List changes into the AML/CFT Program along with Practical Implementation RoadMap. 

Additionally, the webinar was packed with real-time scenario-based quizzes, engaging the audience.  

Watch the webinar recording on YouTube now and broaden your horizon regarding the essential role of FATF in combatting ML, FT, and PF risks on a global level while developing an insight into how the changes in the Grey List have a ripple effect on a business’s AML compliance obligations.  

The Re-KYC process is required to be carried out by Regulated Entities in UAE to update the KYC information of their existing customers periodically, developed on the fundamentals of the risk-based approach.

Our in-house AML Expert, Dipali Vora, through our latest webinar, drew out the regulatory requirements, processes, best practices, challenges and measures to combat such challenges through the use of technology while conducting a Re-KYC process for a Regulated Entity. We have published the recording of the live webinar on YouTube so that audiences who missed attending the live event can benefit by referring to this recording, which contains insights into:

• Understanding triggers for initiating the Re-KYC process
• Understanding factors, developed with a risk-based approach while determining the periodicity for conducting Re-KYC of customers posing varying degrees of risk to a Regulated Entity
• The document collection requirements for Re-KYC and means to validate the same
• Understanding the Re-KYC best practices when dealing with high-risk customers
• Understanding the scope of automation while conducting Re-KYC through an AML Software Solution
• Getting a glimpse of the future of Re-KYC by implementing Perpetual KYC Software

Additionally, the webinar was integrated with live scenario-based quizzes, helping audiences gauge their knowledge about Re-KYC implementation.

Watch the webinar recording on YouTube now and enhance your understanding of the importance and role of Re-KYC in mitigating the ML, FT, and PF risks that arise after establishing business relationships with any customer.