Under Article 8 of AML-CFT Decision, LFIs are required to identify and verify the identity of all customers. Please see also the AML/CFT Guidelines for Financial Institutions for full information on customer identification. In particular, when verifying the Emirates ID card, LFIs must use the online validation gateway of the Federal Authority for Identity & Citizenship and keep a copy of the Emirates ID and its digital verification.

Hawala providers based in the UAE are required to have an active registration certificate issued by the CBUAE and a commercial trade license that includes Hawala Activity. In particular, when opening any accounts for hawala providers, LFIs must physically check the original hawala provider registration certificate issued by the CBUAE and keep a copy thereof. LFIs should not form business relationships or conduct transactions with hawala providers without an active registration certificate issued by the CBUAE (unregistered hawala providers). In addition, if an LFI determines that a customer or prospective customer has materially misrepresented itself or its business, it must not accept the customer, must exit the relationship if one has been established, should add the customer, its beneficial owners, directors and managers to its internal watchlists, and should file an STR with the FIU.