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Customer onboarding software for DPMS in UAE is a compliance tool that automates identity verification to ensure compliance with Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) laws. The automated solution captures identity documents and source of funds and produces inspection-ready records.
For Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones (DPMS), supervised by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET), the CDD obligation is value-triggered. DPMS adopting an onboarding system helps them simplify identity verification for customers who meet threshold limits and prevent financial crime. The customer onboarding software also helps reduce manual effort and lower operational costs.
Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025 mandates DPMS to carry out customer due diligence for any transaction value equal to or exceeding AED 55,000, in single or several linked transactions. DPMS are required to apply customer due diligence at the threshold and also carry out risk-based CDD, including identity verification, document capture, identifying beneficial ownership for corporate customers, source of funds capture, and sanctions & PEP screening. The AML law requires documenting all information and maintaining records for at least 5 years, retrievable for further inspections.
Customer onboarding software facilitates CDD for UAE DPMS, including identity verification, source of funds capture and record-keeping to comply with AML/CFT obligations. It also enforces the hard stop: where a DPMS cannot complete customer due diligence, it is prohibited from establishing or continuing the business relationship or executing the transaction, and must consider submitting a suspicious transaction report (Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, Art. 14).
UAE AML Requirement | Sector Onboarding Challenge | Customer Onboarding Feature | Evidence Generated |
Identity verification | Verifying walk-in and one-off buyers quickly | Document capture and ID verification at point of sale | Verified ID record, document images, approval log |
Source of funds | Establishing fund origin at point of purchase | Source of funds fields with document upload | Source of funds record, supporting documents |
Beneficial ownership | Capturing UBOs behind corporate buyers | UBO capture and corporate structure fields | UBO records, ownership notes, approval log |
Linked transaction detection | Aggregating transactions to detect threshold breach | Linked transaction tracking across customer sessions | Transaction aggregation log, threshold breach record |
Screening linkage | Running sanctions and PEP screening at onboarding | Direct feed into name screening at document capture | Screening trigger record, linked to onboarding profile |
Record keeping | Retaining retrievable records for five years | Centralised digital record with timestamped audit trail | Timestamped customer records, exportable per customer |
The customer onboarding software helps the DPMS sector in the UAE identify the following red flags while conducting identity verification of customers:
Customer onboarding software should allow document and source of funds capture, verify beneficial owners for corporate customers, maintain records, and link to transaction monitoring and name screening to streamline the customer due diligence process for UAE DPMS. The following points make it clearer:
Customer onboarding software should digitally collect customer information and scan documents to extract information, reducing manual entry. It should support documents such as Emirates IDs, passports, and other essential documents. Further, the customer onboarding software should also identify invalid or expired documents and generate alerts.
For high-risk customers, DPMS requires enhanced due diligence, including capturing the source of funds. Customer onboarding software should allow recording of the source of funds, with a specific field for entering information and enable upload of supporting documents, such as invoices, inheritance documents, bank statements, etc.
Customer onboarding software for DPMS should have specific fields when onboarding a corporate customer. It should allow capture of the company’s details and its Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs).
Customer onboarding software should be linked to transaction monitoring systems to identify linked transactions for the same customer, enabling CDD when the threshold is reached.
Customer information should be checked through sanctions, Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and adverse media sources. Customer onboarding software integrated with name screening software speeds up onboarding and streamlines compliance.
For existing customers, the customer onboarding software should help DPMS monitor the documents’ validity. It should also notify DPMS when documents are about to expire, allowing them to request updated documents from customers and keep records current.
Customer onboarding software should automatically record every onboarding activity. It should maintain proper audit trails to demonstrate when the customer is onboarded, what documents are collected, who reviewed them, and decisions made. These records should be easily retrieved for MoET inspections and ensure compliance with AML obligations.
Customer onboarding software should be tailored to specific DPMS business types.
Customer Onboarding for Jewellers
Jewellery stores need a quick onboarding process for walk-in customers who expect a fast and smooth buying experience. Customer onboarding software with self-KYC helps reduce waiting time and minimise staff workload.
Customer Onboarding for Jewellery Retailers
Jewellery retailers with multiple branches require a consistent onboarding process. The software should maintain consistency with the same CDD procedures followed at every branch. Further, it should allow centralised customer information recording to be accessed from any branch.
Customer Onboarding for Bullion Traders
Customer onboarding software for bullion traders should also allow corporate customer onboarding by capturing company details, UBO identification, and verifying business documents.
Customer Onboarding for Diamond and Precious Stone Dealers
Diamond and precious stone dealers often deal with international and cross-border buyers who rarely visit the premises in person. Customer onboarding software should support remote onboarding, allowing customers to upload their identity documents and verify them online using digital verification methods.
Customer Onboarding for Refiners and Import/Export Businesses
The tailored customer onboarding software for refiners and import/export businesses should support individual and corporate customer verification. It should also focus on counterparty onboarding, including CDD for suppliers and intermediaries.
Manual onboarding is error-prone and may lead to compliance risks, whereas customer onboarding software accelerates compliance through digital document capture, automated screening, UBO mapping, and record-keeping.
Onboarding Area | Manual Process Risk | Customer Onboarding Software Advantage |
Document capture | Paper forms, photocopies, inconsistent collection | Digital document capture with OCR and expiry validation |
Source of funds | Verbal collection, no structured record | Structured fields with document upload and review workflow |
UBO capture | Not attempted for corporate buyers | UBO mapping workflow with corporate structure capture |
Screening linkage | Manual checks run separately | Automatic screening trigger from onboarding data |
Record keeping | Paper files, difficult to retrieve at inspection | Digital timestamped records, easily retrievable for inspections |
Document expiry | No tracking, records go stale | Automated expiry alerts across the customer book |
Citadel365 accelerates customer onboarding and allows multi-channel data capture through Excel import, form-based entry, email-based KYC and self-KYC. For DPMS, which requires faster onboarding, it facilitates filing essential fields and the rest of the details later. Further, the customer onboarding software enables source of funds and UBO information capture for corporate customers.
The collected customer information can be checked directly against sanctions, PEP and adverse media sources, reducing re-entry and manual errors. Further, it allows pre-calculation of risk at onboarding with a few key inputs, helping to predict high-risk customers early.
Citadel365 allows centralised storage for uploading and securing customer documents, making them accessible when needed. It also helps track expired documents and generate alerts when customer documents need to be updated. Every onboarding activity is timestamped and recorded as an audit trail for MoET inspections.
Citadel365 is suitable for jewellers, bullion traders, jewellery retailers, gold traders, wholesalers, diamond and precious stone dealers, refiners, and importers/exporters across the UAE, helping them stay compliant with UAE AML obligations.
Reliable customer onboarding software simplifies document capture, UBO mapping, facilitates self-KYC, and securely records customer information. The checklist below helps select the right customer onboarding software for DPMS in the UAE:
Further, DPMS should ask the following questions to the vendor while selecting customer onboarding suitable for their business:
Customer onboarding for UAE DPMS simply means collecting, verifying, and recording customer information to comply with AML requirements. DPMS using customer onboarding software helps automate CDD, reduce manual effort, provide a better customer experience, and enhance AML compliance. Citadel365 customer onboarding software simplifies identity verification, remote onboarding, UBO identification, and record-keeping.
Customer onboarding software for DPMS in the UAE is a digital tool that automates Know Your Customer (KYC), screening, risk profiling, and helps maintain audit trails.
DPMS businesses in the UAE are required to conduct customer due diligence (CDD) for transactions equal to or exceeding AED 55,000 in single or linked transactions.
Yes, DPMS must identify Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) behind corporate buyers when onboarding customers. It helps understand who actually owns or controls the corporate customer and meets CDD requirements.
DPMS should keep onboarding records for at least five years from the date of transaction completion or the end of the business relationship with the customer.
Vasantha holds a Master’s in Law specialising in Banking Laws and Anti-Money Laundering and is CAMS and CGSS certified. With over 35 years of experience, she has worked closely with regulators and international financial institutions, building financial crime risk frameworks, sanctions monitoring programmes, and compliance systems across multiple jurisdictions.
