The UAE Central Bank building in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has made significant progress in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism over the past few years. Photo: Central Bank of the UAE
The UAE Central Bank building in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has made significant progress in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism over the past few years. Photo: Central Bank of the UAE
The UAE Central Bank building in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has made significant progress in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism over the past few years. Photo: Central Bank of the UAE
The UAE Central Bank building in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has made significant progress in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism over the past few years. Photo: Central Bank of the UAE

UAE Central Bank revokes licence of Dirham Exchange for anti-money laundering misconduct


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The UAE Central Bank has revoked the licence of UAE-based exchange house Dirham Exchange and struck its name from the register, as the banking regulator continues to crack down on financial misconduct.

It also revoked the registration of Hawala provider RMB Commercial Brokers.

The administrative sanctions followed an appeals procedure in line with laws regulating the combating of money laundering crimes, financing of terrorism and financing of illegal organisations, the Central Bank said on Wednesday.

Sanctions were levied against the two companies after examinations conducted by the Central Bank found “serious regulatory misconduct, including anti-money laundering misconduct and collusion in evading the central bank's instructions to the exchange house not to engage in remittance transactions with certain countries”.

“The findings showed that they had a weak compliance framework and failed to comply with their regulatory obligations and to report regulatory breaches to the CBUAE.”

The UAE has made significant progress in combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and weapons proliferation over the past few years.

Last month, the UAE announced plans to establish federal prosecution offices dedicated to money laundering and other economic crimes.

The new offices are viewed as a “first step towards investigating and cracking down on economic crimes and money laundering”, state news agency Wam said at the time.

They will deal with corporate crimes, bankruptcy, regulation of competition, financial markets, intellectual property and trademarks, and customs evasion offences.

The Arab world's second-biggest economy has sought to counter the threat posed by economic crimes.

UAE authorities have extradited 899 criminals since 2020, of whom 43 were involved in money laundering. Ten of those were terrorists or were financing terrorist activities.

The UAE has issued fines of more than Dh115 million ($31.3 million) in the first quarter of this year in its fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Last month, the UAE’s Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism held a workshop with the World Bank to boost its framework against financial crimes.

During the workshop, the UAE authorities discussed, identified and evaluated money laundering and terrorist financing risks to draft effective mitigation policies.

EXPATS
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While you're here
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown

46

The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.

1,000

The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]

50

How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday

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The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

1.1 million

The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.

Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Business Insights
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UAE%20ILT20
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
SHAITTAN
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Updated: August 09, 2023, 7:03 AM`