Fines take into account the banks’ failures to achieve appropriate levels of compliance.

Abu Dhabi: The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) imposed financial sanctions on 11 banks operating in the UAE. The action is in accordance with Article 14 of the Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Illegal Organizations (AML/CFT Law), the pertinent articles and decisions of the Cabinet and Central Bank Board of Directors in relation to AML/CFT. The financial sanctions imposed on 24 January 2021 amounted to a total value of Dh45.75 million

Compliance failures
The financial sanctions take into account the banks’ failures to achieve appropriate levels of compliance regarding their AML & Sanctions Compliance Frameworks as at the end of 2019.

“All banks operating in the UAE have been allowed ample time by the CBUAE to remedy any shortcomings and were instructed in the middle of 2019 to ensure compliance by the end of that year, informing them that further shortcomings would result in penalties under the Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 and its executive regulation,” the CBUAE said in a statement.

The CBUAE said it will continue to work closely with all financial institutions in the UAE to achieve and maintain high levels of AML/CFT compliance and will continue to impose further administrative and/or financial sanctions, as per the law, in cases of non-compliance.