AML for Gold and Jewellery Dealers in the UAE: DPMSR, goAML and the AED 55,000 Rule (2026)
What UAE dealers in precious metals and stones must do under the 2025 AML law: the AED 55,000 cash line, DPMSR reports on goAML, customer ID, STRs without delay, sanctions and five-year records.
Short answer: A dealer in precious metals and stones in the UAE is a designated non-financial business (DNFBP) for any cash transaction, or linked transactions, of AED 55,000 or more. For those transactions it must identify the customer, file a Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Report (DPMSR) on the Financial Intelligence Unit's goAML, and keep the records for at least five years. Suspicious transactions of any amount go to the FIU immediately and without delay, and sanctions instructions must be applied forthwith. The Ministry of Economy & Tourism supervises the sector, and dealers register on goAML through its service.
This guide is for owners, compliance officers and managers at gold, jewellery, diamond and precious-stone businesses in the UAE. It covers what the 2025 law and the Ministry's circulars require, and what that means for day-to-day trading. It is a practical guide, not legal advice: check the current texts and your supervisor's guidance.
The rules that apply
The UAE replaced its AML law in 2025. Federal Decree by Law No. (10) of 2025, issued on 30 September 2025, repealed Decree by Law No. (20) of 2018, and Cabinet Resolution No. (134) of 2025, issued on 29 October 2025, replaced the 2019 executive regulations. Circulars issued under the old law, including the Ministry of Economy's goAML circular for dealers, stay in force where they are consistent with the new texts.
| Text | What it means for a dealer |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, Article 3 | Dealers are DNFBPs when carrying out a single cash transaction, or several that appear linked, of AED 55,000 or more |
| Ministry of Economy Circular 08/AML/2021 (effective 12 June 2021) | Customer identification and a DPMSR on goAML for transactions of AED 55,000 or more |
| Decree by Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 18, and Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, Article 18 | Suspicious transactions reported to the FIU immediately and without delay, whatever the amount |
| Decree by Law No. 10 of 2025, Article 19 | Targeted financial sanctions implemented forthwith |
| Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, Article 25 | Records kept for at least five years |
The AED 55,000 line and the DPMSR
Circular 08/AML/2021 sets out three cases:
- Resident individuals: for cash transactions of AED 55,000 or more, obtain the customer's Emirates ID or passport and register the details in goAML as a DPMSR.
- Non-resident individuals: for cash transactions of AED 55,000 or more, obtain an ID or passport and file a DPMSR.
- Companies and other entities: for transactions of AED 55,000 or more in cash or by wire transfer, obtain a copy of the trade licence and the ID of the person representing the company, and file a DPMSR.
Keep the documents and information for each of these transactions for at least five years.
Two practical points follow. First, the line applies to linked transactions too, so a customer who buys in two visits, or pays in two instalments, can cross it without any single payment doing so; your till and your records have to be able to see that. Second, for companies the circular counts wire transfers as well as cash, so the rule cannot be run on cash receipts alone.
Suspicious transactions: any amount, without delay
The DPMSR is a threshold report; it says nothing about suspicion. Separately, if you suspect, or have reasonable grounds to suspect, that a transaction or funds are linked to money laundering or terrorist financing, you must report to the FIU immediately and without delay, through its electronic system, whatever the amount and including attempted transactions. The regulations also expect you to keep indicators of suspicion and update them as methods change.
In a dealership that means staff at the counter need to know the red flags, there has to be a quick route to the compliance officer, and the decision to report or not has to be recorded. The Ministry of Economy & Tourism publishes red-flag indicators and supplemental guidance for dealers in precious metals and stones on its AML pages.
Customers, PEPs and sanctions
- Customer due diligence applies when a business relationship starts, when there is a suspicion, and when you doubt the identification data you already hold.
- Politically exposed persons: for a foreign PEP you need systems to identify them, senior-management approval, reasonable measures to establish the source of funds and wealth, and enhanced ongoing monitoring. For domestic PEPs and people with a prominent function in an international organisation, the same measures apply where the relationship is high risk.
- Sanctions: instructions from the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation on targeted financial sanctions must be implemented forthwith. Screen customers, and the people behind corporate customers, before you complete a sale.
goAML registration
Dealers must register on goAML to report. The Ministry of Economy & Tourism runs a "Register in goAML" service for DNFBPs and warns that failing to register may lead to penalties. Registration is your business's own step: keep your users and compliance contacts current so that reports can be filed without delay when they are needed.
A compliance checklist for dealers
- Registered on goAML through the Ministry of Economy & Tourism's service
- Customer identification for every cash transaction of AED 55,000 or more, single or linked, and for company transactions of AED 55,000 or more in cash or by wire
- A DPMSR filed on goAML for each of those transactions
- Red-flag indicators documented, staff trained, and a fast route to the compliance officer
- STRs filed immediately and without delay, whatever the amount
- PEP checks, with senior-management approval and source-of-funds checks for foreign PEPs
- Screening against targeted financial sanctions lists before completing a sale
- Records kept for at least five years
How software helps a dealer
Most dealers do not need a bank's system, but they do need four things to be dependable: a way to catch linked transactions that together reach AED 55,000, screening against current sanctions lists, a record of each customer check, and goAML reports that the FIU accepts first time. Creodata's AML compliance software in the UAE covers screening, customer risk rating, case management and reporting, and our goAML reporting software for the UAE generates and validates STR files before submission and can be configured to support DPMSR reports. The Starter tier covers screening, risk rating and case basics, so a small dealer can start there. For the wider picture, see our UAE goAML reporting guide and our buyer's guide to AML software in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
Do gold dealers in the UAE need to file reports on goAML?
Yes. Dealers in precious metals and stones file a DPMSR on goAML for cash transactions of AED 55,000 or more with individuals, and for cash or wire transactions of AED 55,000 or more with companies (Ministry of Economy Circular 08/AML/2021), and report suspicious transactions to the FIU without delay, whatever the amount.
What is a DPMSR?
A Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Report: the goAML report type a dealer uses to record qualifying transactions of AED 55,000 or more, with the customer's identification details.
Does the AED 55,000 threshold apply to split payments?
Yes. The regulations bring dealers into scope for a single cash transaction or several transactions that appear to be linked and together reach AED 55,000.
How long must dealers keep records?
At least five years, both under the Ministry's circular and under Article 25 of Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, which applies the five years from the end of the transaction or business relationship.
Who supervises dealers in precious metals and stones?
The Ministry of Economy & Tourism, which issues the sector's circulars and guidance and runs the goAML registration service for DNFBPs.
See how Creodata's AML compliance software in the UAE handles screening and goAML reporting: book a demo.
