How AML Compass is researched

From the published texts, not from summaries

Every guide, sector page and assessment rule is written from the primary texts themselves, which are archived with the project so each statement can be checked against the exact wording it relies on:

• Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 on AML/CFT/CPF, and Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, its Executive Regulations
• The Ministry of Economy and Tourism's DNFBP guidelines and its sector supplemental guidance, March 2026
• Cabinet Decision No. 74 of 2020 on targeted financial sanctions, and the Executive Office's sanctions guidance
• The DFSA's AML module for the DIFC, and the ADGM AML Rules
• Ministry of Justice material for legal professionals, and the Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority's policy paper

Secondary sources, including other firms' guides, are not relied on. Several still cite Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 and Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2019, both replaced in 2025.

Every point is cited

Each obligation on this site names the article, rule or guidance section behind it, each guide carries the date it was last reviewed against those texts, and each sector page the date its sources were last checked. Where a source is ambiguous, the page says so rather than choosing a reading. Where the source for a jurisdiction has not been read, the site makes no claim about it instead of borrowing the federal rule.

Checked against what regulators publish

A regulatory watch compares the 17 archived primary sources with what the regulators publish today and shows every change for review. 5 of them cannot be fetched automatically and are checked by hand. It runs at least quarterly and whenever a new circular, rulebook version or FATF outcome is announced. It last ran on 18 September 2026.

What the assessment is, and is not

An AML Compass assessment is a structured determination on the answers a firm gives, scored against the duties for its sector and jurisdiction. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the texts or the firm's supervisor. Where designation depends on what a firm actually does, the report states the scope determination and what it rests on, so the firm can evidence its position.

Corrections

If you find a statement that does not match the current text, write to support@amlcompass.io with the page and the provision. Corrections are made against the source and the review date updated.