Clarify the business risk, AML control gaps and provider scope before commissioning policies, due diligence procedures, goAML support or ongoing compliance services.
AML controls should reflect the actual business model, customers, products, delivery channels and jurisdictions involved.
These are the five inputs a provider works through when scoping AML support. Nothing here is scored or assessed - describe them once in a structured request and relevant providers can assess the same requirement.
Independent providers on Emirae.Pro that list AML related compliance support among their capabilities.
Emirae.Pro is a marketplace and does not provide legal advice. Directory inclusion is not an endorsement and does not confirm that a provider holds a particular professional registration or may act on a specific matter. Confirm scope, professional status and engagement terms directly with the provider.
We help entrepreneurs, SMEs and international companies enter, structure and grow in the UAE with clearer business, tax and legal decisions. Our work is built around one practical idea: clients…
A&A Associate was established in 2016 and works on both sides of a line most firms pick one of: company formation on one side, accounting and audit on the other.…
We are usually the right fit when a business in the UAE cannot afford legal work that is narrow, reactive or disconnected from the wider commercial picture. Many companies do…
Alliance Prime is a tax and accounting practice in Dubai whose defining credential is registration as an approved tax agent with the Federal Tax Authority. That status is narrower than…
Avyanco is a corporate advisory firm that came out of the 2020 wave of UAE setup practices but has built itself wider than most of that cohort. It is licensed…
We are a strong fit for businesses that need more than basic accounting support and more than a one off tax answer. Our role is usually most valuable when audit…
CLA Emirates has practised in the UAE since 2005 and is among the larger independent accountancy firms in the country, with a headcount well into the hundreds. It reached that…
We help founders, small businesses, investors and international companies set up and run their business in the UAE with a more structured and practical path from the start. We do…
EZONE is a business setup consultancy licensed by Dubai's Department of Economic Development. The name is shared with a number of unrelated businesses in the UAE and internationally, from restaurants…
We are usually the right fit for businesses that need UAE tax work to be practical, structured and closely tied to the way the company actually operates. A lot of…
We are usually the right fit when a business does not just need a document drafted, but needs the UAE legal position to be thought through before the business commits…
We are usually the right fit when a business in the UAE needs legal judgement, not just processing. A lot of companies do not struggle because they cannot file a…
Our fit tends to begin once a business is past the first setup questions and has landed in the financial, tax and compliance layer that decides whether operations stay clean…
NR Doshi & Partners is one of the older accountancy practices in the country, established in 1985 and now past its fortieth year of continuous work in the UAE. The…
We are typically chosen by foreign owned businesses that do not want to improvise their entry into the UAE. A lot of firms arrive with a rough plan, a deadline,…
RadiantBiz is a Dubai corporate services firm whose published catalogue runs a good deal wider than incorporation. Incorporation across free zone, offshore and mainland routes sits alongside corporate bank account…
Our role becomes clear once a business has moved past the simple idea of setup and into the reality of numbers, filings, reporting and financial discipline. Many companies enter the…
We are usually the right fit for businesses that want accounting and tax support shaped around the realities of free zone operations rather than treated as a generic mainland finance…
Saif Chartered Accountants has practised in the UAE since 1994, which places it among the longer-serving audit firms in the country. The practice is built around statutory audit, with tax,…
Sanctuary earns its place when a UAE matter straddles tax, structure, relocation and day to day corporate administration instead of fitting neatly inside one narrow service line. Plenty of businesses…
Start Any Business is a corporate service provider licensed in the UAE to arrange company formation and the government paperwork that follows it. The name is unusually literal: the proposition…
Tulpar Global Taxation is a tax practice first and an accounting firm second, which is a rarer shape in the UAE than the number of firms advertising tax services would…
We help founders, small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and international companies launch, relocate and scale in the UAE with a setup process that is more coordinated from day one. We are…
We are usually the right fit for UAE businesses that want accounting, tax and payroll support to feel practical, current and easier to use in day to day operations. A…
Sector experience, implementation capability and the exact inclusions matter more than a headline price. The comparison criteria further down set out what to test before engaging.
Policies alone are not enough. The framework should connect risk assessment, customer controls, monitoring, escalation, reporting, training and records.
| Framework element | Business-wide risk assessment | AML policy | KYC / CDD / EDD | Screening | Monitoring and escalation | Reporting and goAML readiness | Training and records | Periodic review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Defines the business, customer, product, channel and geographic risks that the framework must address. | Sets governance, responsibilities, approval, control and escalation principles. | Defines how identity, ownership, purpose, risk and enhanced evidence are collected and reviewed. | Defines sanctions, PEP and other relevant screening steps and escalation rules. | Defines how unusual behaviour or transactions are identified, reviewed and escalated. | Defines internal decision-making, records and authorised reporting workflows where applicable. | Defines who is trained, what is recorded and how evidence is retained. | Defines when the framework, risk assessment, customer files and controls are reassessed. |
| Input data | Activity, customers, products, channels, geographies | Risk assessment, roles, legal requirements | Customer information, ownership, purpose | Customer and counterparty names, lists | Customer profile, expected activity | Internal findings, decision rationale | Roles, obligations, framework changes | Prior assessments, incidents, changes |
| Operating procedure | Structured risk methodology | Approved written policy | Risk-based onboarding steps | Screening at onboarding and ongoing | Rules for review and escalation | Controlled internal decision path | Scheduled, role-based training | Defined review cycle and triggers |
| Evidence produced | Documented risk assessment | Approved policy version | Customer files and CDD records | Screening logs and dispositions | Alerts, reviews, escalation notes | Decision records and retained files | Attendance and materials records | Review reports and updates |
| Review trigger | Material business change | Regulatory or scope change | Risk change or new customer type | List updates or new exposure | Threshold or behaviour change | New finding or role change | New joiners or framework update | Cycle date or material change |
| Provider support opportunity | Design and document the assessment | Draft, tailor and align policy | Build risk-based CDD/EDD procedures | Design screening and escalation rules | Design monitoring and escalation | Reporting-readiness and procedure design | Build and deliver training, set retention | Independent review and refresh |
This matrix illustrates how the elements connect. It is not a complete legal checklist - a qualified provider must confirm the controls and evidence required for the specific business.
An effective programme is built from the business risk profile outward, not copied from a generic template. Each risk dimension changes the controls, evidence and review frequency the framework needs.
The dimensions listed here are the inputs a provider works through with the business. Nothing on this page assesses them.
One connected process, from first contact to ongoing review, where the depth of evidence follows the assessed risk of each relationship.
Collect the information required for the relevant customer type.
Use appropriate evidence and verification methods within the provider’s approved process.
Understand who ultimately owns, controls or benefits from the relationship.
Document why the relationship exists and what activity is expected.
Apply the approved risk factors and escalation criteria.
Use additional evidence, review or approval where the risk profile requires it.
Follow the organisation’s governance and decision procedure.
Review changes in ownership, behaviour, transactions, geography or risk.
goAML support should be treated as part of a controlled internal reporting process, not as a standalone software task.
Provider support may include registration guidance, role and process setup, reporting-readiness review, procedure design, training and operational support within the provider’s verified scope.
A useful AML document set should reflect the business, roles, customer risk, escalation path and evidence requirements.
Review and remediation should distinguish missing documents from weak implementation, unclear ownership, incomplete evidence and outdated risk assumptions.
| Control area | Existing evidence | Gap or observation | Risk relevance | Required action | Responsible role | Target review date | Evidence of closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risk assessment | Draft document | Not linked to current activity | Framework basis | Rebuild and approve | Risk owner | To be agreed | Approved assessment |
| Governance | Named roles | Escalation path unclear | Decision integrity | Clarify roles and path | Senior management | To be agreed | Updated policy |
| Customer onboarding | Some files | Inconsistent CDD records | Onboarding control | Standardise CDD steps | Onboarding | To be agreed | Complete customer files |
| Beneficial ownership | Partial data | Ownership not verified | Due diligence input | Complete ownership review | Compliance | To be agreed | Verified ownership records |
| Screening | Manual checks | No ongoing screening | Exposure detection | Define ongoing screening | Operations | To be agreed | Screening logs |
| Transaction monitoring | Ad hoc review | No defined thresholds | Detection capability | Define review rules | Operations | To be agreed | Documented rules and reviews |
| Training | Informal | No records retained | Awareness and evidence | Schedule and record training | Compliance / HR | To be agreed | Attendance records |
| Periodic review | None | No defined cycle | Ongoing effectiveness | Set review cycle | Compliance | To be agreed | Review report |
This table is an illustrative example of how a review is structured. Target dates and closure evidence are set with the provider against the specific business. Emirae does not pre-populate findings, scores or a compliance status.
AML projects differ by sector, business complexity, customer volume, control maturity and whether the need is setup, review, remediation or ongoing support.
| Scope component | Included? | One-time or ongoing | Deliverable | Evidence or source | Assumptions | Quote status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial scoping | Core | One-time | Scope summary | Provider proposal | Business info provided | Request current quote |
| Business-wide risk assessment | Core | One-time | Risk assessment | Provider deliverable | Access to business detail | Request current quote |
| AML policy | Core | One-time | Approved policy | Document draft | Risk assessment complete | Request current quote |
| KYC / CDD procedure | Core | One-time | CDD procedure | Document draft | Customer types defined | Request current quote |
| EDD procedure | Optional | One-time | EDD procedure | Document draft | Higher-risk cases exist | Request current quote |
| Screening procedure | Optional | One-time / ongoing | Screening design | Procedure and config note | Screening tool available | Request current quote |
| Monitoring and escalation procedure | Optional | One-time / ongoing | Monitoring design | Procedure document | Activity profile defined | Request current quote |
| goAML readiness | Optional | One-time | Readiness review | Provider scope note | Authorised roles confirmed | Request current quote |
| Training | Optional | One-time / recurring | Training and records | Materials and attendance | Staff scope defined | Request current quote |
| Independent review | Optional | One-time | Review report | Provider deliverable | Existing framework in place | Request current quote |
| Remediation support | Optional | Project | Remediation plan | Review findings | Review completed | Request current quote |
| Ongoing advisory | Optional | Ongoing | Advisory retainer | Engagement terms | Scope agreed | Request current quote |
| Outsourced compliance support | Optional | Ongoing | Support arrangement | Engagement terms | Roles and accountability confirmed | Request current quote |
| Compliance officer or MLRO support, where available | Optional | Ongoing | Role support | Provider scope note | Legally and operationally available | Request current quote |
| Software configuration support | Optional | Project | Config support | Separately scoped | Software selected | Separate from advisory fee |
| Provider professional fee | Core | Per engagement | Fee proposal | Provider quote | Scope agreed | Request current quote |
| Optional legal review | Optional | As needed | Legal input | Separate provider | Legal question arises | Priced separately |
| Optional accounting or audit support | Optional | As needed | Records or audit input | Separate provider | Records gap identified | Priced separately |
| VAT treatment where applicable | - | As invoiced | On invoice | Provider invoice | Provider VAT-registered | Confirm with provider |
A low headline price may cover only document drafting and exclude implementation, evidence review, training or ongoing support. No indicative fee range is published here: fees depend entirely on scope and are quoted by each provider against the agreed requirement.
This page owns the full AML/CFT compliance intent. Related workstreams have dedicated services - use the correct one so the request reaches providers with the right scope.
Scope and implementation capability matter more than headline price. Use the criteria to compare like with like, and the questions to test each provider before engaging.
AML laws, guidance, reporting procedures and sector expectations can change. Confirm any factual requirement against current official material before acting on it.
AML supervision in the UAE is split across authorities by sector, so the material that applies to one business may not apply to another. Designated non-financial businesses and professions, financial-sector entities and free zone entities are not all supervised by the same body.
Emirae.Pro does not supervise, certify or report. It lists independent providers and routes structured requests to them.
Confirm the current regulatory scope and reporting requirements with the relevant supervisory authority or a qualified provider before relying on any summary, including this one.
Neutral answers on scope, boundaries and what Emirae does and does not do. A qualified provider confirms what applies to a specific business.
Describe the business and control environment once. Emirae routes it to providers with the relevant AML scope.
Build an AML requestAdd the business activity, customer exposure, existing controls and required support once. Emirae will use the structured request to surface relevant AML providers where coverage exists.
Emirae.Pro is a marketplace. AML services are delivered by independent providers under their own engagement terms, and a qualified provider must confirm what the specific business is required to do.
Do not publish customer names, transaction detail, screening results or any suspicious-activity information in a public request.