AML

Anti-money laundering (AML) law in the UAE treats real estate as a high-risk sector. Estate agents, brokers and the lawyers who act on property deals are classed as designated non-financial businesses and are supervised for compliance, alongside the banks regulated by the Central Bank; developers apply the same checks to their buyers. Each must carry out customer due diligence before dealing with you, keep records, and report suspicious activity to the UAE's Financial Intelligence Unit through its goAML system.

For a buyer this turns into three practical requirements. You will be asked for identity documents (KYC). You will be asked to evidence your source of funds. And payments should arrive from a bank account in your own name, traceable from origin to the developer's escrow account or the seller.

Certain transactions are reported automatically. Estate agents and brokers must file a report where a property is paid for with cash of AED 55,000 or more, or with virtual assets, whether in one payment or several. Reporting is not an accusation, but it means records of how you paid are kept.

Common causes of delay for overseas buyers are payments from a company or relative's account, funds routed through several jurisdictions, and unexplained lump sums. Tell your UK bank about a large transfer in advance and keep the paper trail. A developer or agent who is relaxed about identity checks, or who suggests cash, is a warning sign about them, not a convenience for you.