Business Setup in Dubai | Company Formation UAE & KSA | Noble Core Ventures
AML · ESR · COMPLIANCE

AML & ESR Compliance. goAML, UBO, ESR — All Handled.

Mandatory AML compliance for DNFBPs, free zones, and offshore. ESR notifications and reports. Sanctions screening. From AED 2,500.

★★★★★5,000+ UAE companies formed3–7 days setup
business tax UAE 2026 corporate tax compliance Dubai office

goAML Registered · FATF Compliant · UBO Specialists

goAML REGISTERED UBO FILINGS ESR EXPERTS SANCTIONS SCREENING FATF COMPLIANT 5,000+ FILINGS
Why AML & ESR Matter

FATF grey-listing pushed the UAE to tighten AML — and penalties are severe

Since the UAE's FATF grey-listing and 2024 removal, AML rules apply to every DNFBP (Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession): real estate brokers, gold dealers, accountants, auditors, corporate service providers, law firms. Non-compliance triggers penalties from AED 50,000 to AED 1,000,000 per violation.

Every UAE entity must also file Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) details annually and comply with Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) if engaged in relevant activities (banking, insurance, IP, holding, HQ, shipping, distribution, service, lease-finance). ESR notifications are due within 6 months of financial year-end; reports within 12 months.

Noble Core Ventures handles UAE AML + ESR compliance end-to-end — from goAML registration to annual ESR reports, UBO updates, sanctions screening, and policy drafting. We also bundle with bookkeeping and audit services.

2,500AED starting price
50K+AED min penalty
100%FATF compliant
5,000+UBO filings
What's Included

Full-spectrum AML & ESR compliance

Registration, policies, filings, screening, and audit defence — all under one roof.

📝

goAML Registration

Register with UAE FIU goAML portal. Mandatory for DNFBPs and financial institutions.

  • goAML onboarding
  • Compliance officer setup
  • MLRO training
  • Portal activation
👤

UBO Filings

Annual Ultimate Beneficial Owner filings with the registrar. Updates within 15 days.

  • UBO register
  • Annual updates
  • Change reporting
  • Authority filing
📋

ESR Notifications

Annual Economic Substance notification within 6 months of FY-end.

  • Relevant activity test
  • Notification filing
  • Activity classification
  • Deadline tracking
📊

ESR Reports

Full ESR report within 12 months — for entities engaged in relevant activities.

  • Substance testing
  • Income thresholds
  • Adequate employees
  • Board adequacy
🔍

Sanctions Screening

Daily OFAC, UN, UAE, EU sanctions screening for clients, suppliers, and counterparties.

  • Daily screening
  • Automated alerts
  • Enhanced DD
  • Risk scoring
📜

AML Policies & Training

FATF-compliant AML/CFT policies, SAR templates, and staff training programs.

  • Policy manuals
  • SAR/STR templates
  • Staff training
  • Annual review
How It Works

From risk assessment to ongoing compliance in 5 phases

Fully compliant. Continuously monitored. Always audit-ready.

01

Assessment

DNFBP/FI classification, ESR relevant activity test, and risk rating.

02

Registration

goAML registration, compliance officer appointment, UBO register setup.

03

Policies

AML/CFT policies, SAR procedures, KYC/CDD documentation drafted.

04

Filings

UBO annual filing, ESR notification, ESR report — all deadlines tracked.

05

Monitoring

Ongoing sanctions screening, STR/SAR reporting, annual policy review.

Key Benefits

Why UAE entities trust Noble Core with AML & ESR

Zero Missed Deadlines

Every UBO, ESR notification, and ESR report filed on time — calendar-tracked.

🛡

Penalty Protection

AED 50K–1M penalties avoided by clean, proactive compliance.

🌐

FATF-Aligned

All policies and procedures aligned with latest FATF and UAE Central Bank guidance.

🔒

Confidential

Your UBO, beneficial ownership, and compliance data handled with strict confidentiality.

Daily Screening

Automated daily sanctions screening — zero manual effort for you.

💼

DNFBP Specialists

Real estate, gold dealers, CSPs, auditors, legal — sector-specific expertise.

Client Stories

Trusted by DNFBPs, free zones, and offshore entities across the UAE

Omar Farouk client

"Noble Core registered goAML, set up UBO register, filed ESR for 4 entities. Ministry of Economy audit passed with zero findings."

Omar Farouk
Managing Partner, Al Rashid Family Office
Zero audit findings
★★★★★

"Responsive, reliable, and always on top of deadlines. Hard to find in Dubai."

Naveed SheikhFounder, SaaS Co
★★★★★

"They anticipated compliance gaps before they became problems."

Layla Al ZarooniMD, Trading Co
★★★★★

"Price is fair, service is premium. Our go-to partner now."

Pooja SharmaCEO, Retail Group
Transparent Pricing

Clear AML & ESR pricing

Fixed fees. All filings and monitoring covered.

Starter
UBO + ESR notification only
AED 2,500
From · per year
  • Annual UBO filing
  • ESR notification
  • Relevant activity test
  • Compliance officer setup
  • Email support
  • Deadline tracking
  • Authority correspondence
Choose Starter
Compliance Plus
Full AML + ESR reports + audit defence
AED 22,500
From · per year
  • Everything in AML Essentials, plus
  • ESR report filing
  • Daily sanctions screening
  • Full substance review
  • MoE audit support
  • Quarterly compliance reviews
  • Multi-entity support
  • Dedicated compliance officer
Choose Plus

Need something custom? Talk to us.

FAQ

UAE AML & ESR FAQs

What is a DNFBP in the UAE?

Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession — entities required to comply with UAE AML rules. Includes: real estate brokers, precious metal/stone dealers, lawyers, accountants, auditors, corporate service providers, and trust/company service providers. DNFBPs must register on goAML.

What is goAML?

goAML is the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit's portal for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). All financial institutions and DNFBPs must register. Failure to register triggers penalties from AED 50,000.

What is UBO filing?

Ultimate Beneficial Owner — every UAE company must maintain a UBO register identifying any individual owning 25% or more. UBO information must be filed with the registrar annually and updated within 15 days of any change. Penalties from AED 15,000 per violation.

What is ESR?

Economic Substance Regulations — UAE entities engaged in 'relevant activities' (banking, insurance, IP, holding, HQ, shipping, distribution, service, lease-finance) must demonstrate adequate UAE economic substance: employees, office, expenditure, board meetings. Applies to most free zone and offshore entities.

When is ESR filing due?

ESR Notification within 6 months of financial year-end (for all entities in scope). ESR Report within 12 months of FY-end (for entities engaged in relevant activities). Missing deadlines triggers AED 20,000 notification penalty, AED 50,000 report penalty.

Do free zone companies need AML/ESR?

Yes. Every UAE free zone and mainland entity must file UBO annually and ESR notification if in a relevant activity. DNFBP free zone entities must also register on goAML and maintain AML policies.

What are AML penalties in the UAE?

Violations under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018: AED 50,000 to AED 5,000,000 per violation. Common penalties: no goAML registration (AED 50K), no UBO (AED 15K), failure to implement AML policy (AED 200K), failure to file STR (AED 500K+).

Who must appoint an MLRO?

Money Laundering Reporting Officer — mandatory for DNFBPs and financial institutions. The MLRO is responsible for AML compliance, STR filing, and staff training. Must be a senior UAE resident. We provide MLRO-as-a-service.

How often should we screen for sanctions?

Daily for new customers and suppliers; on-demand before transactions; and quarterly portfolio re-screening. Lists to screen: UN, OFAC, HMT, UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 74, EU. Automated screening is strongly recommended.

Can you bundle AML with accounting and audit?

Yes. Many clients bundle AML + ESR + accounting + audit for a single compliance stack. Bundled pricing reduces total cost by 20–30%.

Start Today

Ready to close your AML & ESR gaps?

Free 30-minute compliance assessment. We review your entity, DNFBP status, ESR scope, and give you a fixed fee quote.

Or call +971 55 607 4231 · Response within 2 hours · 5,000+ UAE companies since 2020