AML Compliance Solutions for ADGM Firms

ADGM AML requirements and FSRA supervision

ADGM sits within the UAE federal AML/CFT framework. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority's Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Rules and Guidance apply to Relevant Persons within their defined scope, including authorised persons and relevant DNFBPs. Your licence, entity type and activities determine the requirements; ADGM incorporation alone is not a complete scope assessment.

• Check whether your entity is a Relevant Person under the current FSRA AML rulebook.
• Translate the applicable federal and ADGM requirements into a documented business-wide risk assessment and procedures.
• Assign governance, compliance oversight, training and escalation responsibilities appropriate to your operation.

KYC, KYB and beneficial-owner checks

Investment, wealth-management and professional-service relationships can involve funds, holding companies and international ownership chains. Gather and verify the information needed to understand each relationship before relying on screening results.

• Identify and verify customers, legal entities and relevant beneficial owners.
• Understand the purpose of the relationship and the ownership or control structure.
• Screen relevant parties for sanctions, PEP and adverse media risk.
• Apply enhanced due diligence where required, documenting evidence and approval reasons.

Sanctions screening for cross-border exposure

Include the UN Consolidated List and UAE Local Terrorist List in your sanctions procedures, together with other sources relevant to your firm's obligations and risk policy. Cross-border customers and counterparties require attention to identifiers, name variations and ownership information, not just an exact-name lookup.

• Agree which parties and identifiers enter each screening check.
• Investigate potential matches using source details and customer evidence.
• Document escalations and actions under your approved sanctions procedures.
• Rescreen when relevant lists, relationship information or risk factors change.

Separate customer screening from transaction monitoring

Bridger Insight XG supports automated batch/API screening and ongoing customer checks. Transaction monitoring examines activity and money-movement patterns, rather than matching names against risk data. ComplianceSuite includes transaction monitoring alongside onboarding, screening and case management; scope the modules and controls your business actually needs.

Evidence, MLRO review and reporting

Maintain a traceable record of checks, investigations, approvals and ongoing reviews under the requirements applicable to your firm. Escalate suspicious activity to the responsible MLRO. FIU reports are submitted through goAML; assess any separate FSRA notification duties under the current rulebook. Screening records can support an investigation but do not submit a regulatory report on their own.

Choose a package around your operating model

Screening Essentials centres on WorldCompliance Online for manual research. Compliance Operations focuses on Bridger Insight XG for automated screening. Partner & Enterprise can include ComplianceSuite modules or API integration for broader workflows. These are commercial starting points, not regulatory categories. Pricing and implementation are scoped to volumes, users, integration and selected modules.

Implementation and general guidance

Our UAE team helps scope data intake, matching settings, alert ownership, testing and reviewer training. Confirm hosting, access controls and entity-specific records during implementation. This page is general guidance aligned with our jurisdiction comparison guide, not legal advice or a claim of FSRA approval. Confirm current obligations with your supervisor or qualified adviser.