emirates7 - The General Secretariat of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Committee (NAMLCFTPFC), in cooperation with Themis, has issued a new analytical paper titled "Anatomy of a Digital Threat: Understanding and Addressing Cyber-Enabled Financial Crime in the UAE".
The publication presents one of the UAE’s most detailed examinations to date of how rapid technological transformation — including the growth of artificial intelligence, virtual assets, e-commerce and digital payment systems — is reshaping the national financial-crime risk environment.
The paper outlines how criminal networks are leveraging digital tools at scale and stresses the importance of sustained public–private collaboration to enhance national resilience.
Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem, Director of the National Risks and Policies Department at the General Secretariat, emphasised the need for a robust, unified response to emerging threats. “Given the sustained, rapid evolution of cyber-enabled financial crime, the integration of current research, such as this paper, is indispensable to the wider National Risk Assessment (NRA) efforts being executed within the UAE.
"The recent publication of this year’s public NRA summary further underscores our commitment to data-driven risk management. Critically, our authorities operate under a comprehensive whole-of-government framework, which ensures that threats stemming from technological advancements are pre-emptively and effectively managed through coordinated, comprehensive, and forward-looking preventative measures.”
Dickon Johnstone, CEO of Themis, added, “As cyber-enabled financial crime accelerates, the need for intelligence-led and technology-driven solutions becomes ever more critical. Themis is committed to equipping organisations with the tools and insight required to identify hidden risks and protect their people, assets and operations. This paper highlights the urgency of preparing for the fast-changing threat landscape associated with digital transformation.”
The paper was released during the 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW), where its findings were presented at a dedicated panel session titled Criminal Code: Mapping the Cybercrime Economy. It is part of the UAE’s continued efforts to strengthen economic security, including the enactment of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 on Countering Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing with sustained investment in advanced cyber-security capabilities and cross-border law-enforcement cooperation.
Key findings of the paper focused on:
• Cyber-enabled financial crime is accelerating globally. More than US$2 trillion is estimated to be laundered each year and over US$1 trillion stolen through fraud, with criminals increasingly making use of AI, deepfakes, crypto mixers, automation and cross-platform social-engineering techniques.
• Fintech and virtual-asset activities in the UAE continue to expand. The national fintech market is projected to reach US$3.5 billion in 2025, and crypto inflows exceeded US$34 billion last year. These developments support the UAE’s digital economy but simultaneously widen exposure to cyber-enabled money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing risks.
• AI is becoming a force-multiplier for money laundering operations, enabling greater criminal scale and automation as compared to traditional methods. AI-enabled fraud is also rising, with access to pre‑built “fraud‑as‑a-service” tools and AI‑powered phishing toolkits coinciding with a sharp uptick in automated scam attempts in the UAE.
• Predicate crimes are becoming more technologically sophisticated. Fraud and drug trafficking continue to rank among the most significant predicate offenses, with criminal groups increasingly combining encrypted communications, digital payments, virtual assets, and online marketplaces to commit fraud, traffic narcotics, and launder illicit proceeds.
The report underlines the UAE’s continuing reforms to strengthen AML/CFT/CPF supervision, enhance the oversight of virtual-asset service providers, expand cyber-intelligence capabilities and build an integrated national approach linking law enforcement, regulators and private-sector partners.
The publication presents one of the UAE’s most detailed examinations to date of how rapid technological transformation — including the growth of artificial intelligence, virtual assets, e-commerce and digital payment systems — is reshaping the national financial-crime risk environment.
The paper outlines how criminal networks are leveraging digital tools at scale and stresses the importance of sustained public–private collaboration to enhance national resilience.
Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem, Director of the National Risks and Policies Department at the General Secretariat, emphasised the need for a robust, unified response to emerging threats. “Given the sustained, rapid evolution of cyber-enabled financial crime, the integration of current research, such as this paper, is indispensable to the wider National Risk Assessment (NRA) efforts being executed within the UAE.
"The recent publication of this year’s public NRA summary further underscores our commitment to data-driven risk management. Critically, our authorities operate under a comprehensive whole-of-government framework, which ensures that threats stemming from technological advancements are pre-emptively and effectively managed through coordinated, comprehensive, and forward-looking preventative measures.”
Dickon Johnstone, CEO of Themis, added, “As cyber-enabled financial crime accelerates, the need for intelligence-led and technology-driven solutions becomes ever more critical. Themis is committed to equipping organisations with the tools and insight required to identify hidden risks and protect their people, assets and operations. This paper highlights the urgency of preparing for the fast-changing threat landscape associated with digital transformation.”
The paper was released during the 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW), where its findings were presented at a dedicated panel session titled Criminal Code: Mapping the Cybercrime Economy. It is part of the UAE’s continued efforts to strengthen economic security, including the enactment of Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 on Countering Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing with sustained investment in advanced cyber-security capabilities and cross-border law-enforcement cooperation.
Key findings of the paper focused on:
• Cyber-enabled financial crime is accelerating globally. More than US$2 trillion is estimated to be laundered each year and over US$1 trillion stolen through fraud, with criminals increasingly making use of AI, deepfakes, crypto mixers, automation and cross-platform social-engineering techniques.
• Fintech and virtual-asset activities in the UAE continue to expand. The national fintech market is projected to reach US$3.5 billion in 2025, and crypto inflows exceeded US$34 billion last year. These developments support the UAE’s digital economy but simultaneously widen exposure to cyber-enabled money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing risks.
• AI is becoming a force-multiplier for money laundering operations, enabling greater criminal scale and automation as compared to traditional methods. AI-enabled fraud is also rising, with access to pre‑built “fraud‑as‑a-service” tools and AI‑powered phishing toolkits coinciding with a sharp uptick in automated scam attempts in the UAE.
• Predicate crimes are becoming more technologically sophisticated. Fraud and drug trafficking continue to rank among the most significant predicate offenses, with criminal groups increasingly combining encrypted communications, digital payments, virtual assets, and online marketplaces to commit fraud, traffic narcotics, and launder illicit proceeds.
The report underlines the UAE’s continuing reforms to strengthen AML/CFT/CPF supervision, enhance the oversight of virtual-asset service providers, expand cyber-intelligence capabilities and build an integrated national approach linking law enforcement, regulators and private-sector partners.