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Last updated on 4 March 2024

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Organisational Structure

The UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (UAEFIU) is the exclusive national center for receiving Suspicious Transaction Reports from all the reporting entities in the country, it analyses these reports that may involve money laundering, financing of terrorism and related criminal activities, and shares information regarding them.

The UAEFIU encourages collaboration and strategic partnerships with local, regional and international stakeholders with similar goals of combatting financial crimes. This collaboration sees the development of shared network platforms that allow for enhanced knowledge sharing between agencies.

For this purpose, the UAEFIU has developed an organizational structure that supports the effective accomplishment of its tasks. The unit’s organizational structure consists of eight sections in addition to the office of the Chief of the UAEFIU. These sections are divided in terms of the tasks assigned to them into 4 main and 4 support sections.

Organizational Structure E

UAEFIU Sections:

The UAEFIU organisational chart consists of eight sections, in addition to the Chief of Financial Intelligence Unit (CoFIU) Office. Each section has its own roles, responsibilities and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) describing its functions and the detailed unified processes to achieve each function, in accordance with institutional governance and quality assurance, which is considered as a step-by-step guide for the UAEFIU staff.
Strategy Section

The main function of the section is to support the UAEFIU in implementing its mission mainly through developing yearly operational plans, in line with the UAE National Strategy on AML/CFT and the National Action Plan, and overseeing their implementation.

International Cooperation Section

The primary function of the section is to disseminate and receive, both pursuant to incoming and outgoing requests, information relevant to combatting ML, TF, proliferation financing (PF), and associated predicate offenses to and from its international partners.

Domestic Cooperation Section

The main function of the section is to serve as the focal point for engagement between the UAEFIU and all competent authorities in the UAE including Public Prosecution (PP), law enforcement authorities (LEAs), state security (SS), and supervisory authorities for the exchange of information and intelligence.

Policy

The section is responsible for developing internal policies, procedures and guidelines and collaborating with other sections of the UAEFIU in creating and maintaining SOPs, the section also provide legal advices for the other section in relation to their daily operations. In addition, the section plays a critical role within the UAE AML/CFT framework by supporting the concerned authorities in drafting and updating AML/CFT legislations, and collaborating with supervisory authorities in developing AML/CFT regulations and guidance.

Outreach

The section is responsible for engaging with the reporting entities and recommending best practice to enhance the AML/CTF compliance and STR reporting. The section also collaborates with domestic and international stakeholders to organize and develop training programs in relation to AML/CFT and financial crime. Internally, the section is planning and implementing a yearly training plan for the UAEFIU staff.

Research and Strategic Analysis Section

The primary function of the section is to carry out strategic, studies, typology reports, whitepapers and statistical reviews related to money laundering, terrorist financing and other activities relating to predicate offences within the UAE and abroad when warranted. The section examines the available and obtainable information to the UAEFIU and generates analysis reports on the UAE’s financial and trade systems, VASPs and DNFBP sectors insofar as they relate to ML/TF and other predicate offences. Ultimately, the section aims to develop the understanding of the primary risk drivers of financial crime within the UAE by identifying relevant typologies, patterns, trends, and risk indicators.

Operational Analysis Section

The primary function of the Operational Analysis Section is three-fold. Firstly, as the designated national receptor of reports, the section is building the capabilities to receive STRs, SARs, and other report types as mandated by the UAE’s laws and regulations from the financial sector, DNFBPs and VASPs (Reporting Entities), and to collect additional information from the broadest range of national and international sources.

Secondly, the section is tasked with analysing the reports and other information and data gathered to identify possible illicit activity in the financial, DNFBP and VASP sectors, and the economy in general, used by potentially nefarious actors in their attempt to launder illicit proceeds, finance terrorism and overall fund their unlawful activities. This is done by developing actionable intelligence in the form of activity patterns, targets, criminal ties, relationships, and networks, leads, criminal profiles and the tracing of funds.

Finally, the section will share this operational intelligence with LEAs, and other competent authorities, as needed, for further action.

Systems Infrastructure Section

The section is responsible for day-to-day activities of administering UAEFIU-owned systems and applications, website (publicly facing and intranet) management and support, database structures and system setup/configurations.