Home / United Arab Emirates / Money laundering

Money launderingPossibly — unconfirmed

Possibly — unconfirmed

Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.

Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed

Art. 26(1) — money launderingPossibly — unconfirmed

Imprisonment: Imprisonment 1–10 years
Fine: Fine AED 100,000–5,000,000, or an amount equivalent to the value of the criminal property, whichever is greater

Art. 26(2) — aggravated: exploiting influence/authority of position or profession; through a non-profit organisation; through an organised criminal group; predicate offence is a state-security / drug crime; recidivismPossibly — unconfirmed

Imprisonment: Temporary imprisonment (3–15 years)
Fine: Fine AED 1,000,000–10,000,000, or twice the value of the criminal property, whichever is greater

Art. 26(3) — financing of terrorismPossibly — unconfirmed

Imprisonment: Life or temporary imprisonment: not less than 10 years
Fine: Fine AED 1,000,000–10,000,000, or twice the value of the criminal property, whichever is greater

Note on this entry

"Temporary imprisonment" = 3–15 years unless the law states otherwise. Penalties apply without prejudice to any more severe penalty in any other law (Art. 25).

Source

Statute: Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018, Art. 26
Official source: Mirror of uaelegislation.gov.ae portal text (AML Decree-Law) — official portal text not retrieved directly
Verification status
Last verified: 2026-10-19

Not legal advice. This range is the statutory penalty as written in the law — it is not “your sentence.” What is NOT accounted for here: Priors, plea, discretion. If you face a real charge, consult a licensed lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.