Middle East · Country coverage

AML/CTF Compliance in Yemen

Yemen is a high-risk jurisdiction with an AML/CTF regime built on its Financial Information Unit and 2010 law. See the obligations and how MemberCheck supports screening.

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Screening coverage for Yemen
  • Sanctions & PEP screening
  • Adverse media checks
  • Customer identity verification
  • Jurisdiction risk checks
  • Ongoing monitoring

Key facts

AML supervisor / FIUCentral Bank of Yemen (supervisor, split between Aden and Sana'a); Financial Information Unit (FIU)
FATF statusFATF grey list (increased monitoring, since 2010); MENAFATF member
Primary legislationAML/CFT Law No. 1 of 2010
Overview

AML/CTF compliance in Yemen.

Yemen is a high-risk jurisdiction. Its AML/CTF framework is built on AML/CFT Law No. 1 of 2010, with the Central Bank of Yemen supervising banks and exchange companies and hosting the Financial Information Unit as the country's financial intelligence unit. That supervision is fragmented in practice, because the central bank has been split since 2016 between the internationally recognised authority in Aden and a rival administration in Sana'a. Yemen participates in MENAFATF at the regional level. Yemen has also been on the FATF's list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring since 2010, one of the longest-standing entries on that list.

For most institutions, the practical relevance of Yemen is sanctions and jurisdiction risk. Prolonged conflict and constrained institutional capacity mean that any Yemeni nexus, whether a party, a beneficial owner, or a controlling interest, should trigger heightened sanctions and PEP screening and a careful assessment of whether the relationship can proceed.

MemberCheck helps teams manage this exposure by screening customers and entities against global sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media data, flagging jurisdiction risk, and monitoring relationships continuously, with a clear audit trail behind every decision.

Regulation

Key laws and regulators.

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Central Bank of Yemen

The AML/CTF supervisor for banks and exchange companies, and the body the Financial Information Unit sits within. Its authority has been split since 2016 between the internationally recognised central bank in Aden and a rival administration in Sana'a, so a single consistent supervisory regime does not reach the whole country.

Financial Information Unit (Yemen)

Yemen's financial intelligence unit, established inside the Central Bank of Yemen and responsible for receiving, analysing, and disseminating suspicious transaction reports to competent authorities. It is a small unit with limited capacity.

AML/CFT Law No. 1 of 2010

Yemen's principal AML statute, setting customer due diligence, record-keeping, and suspicious transaction reporting duties for reporting entities.

Elevated jurisdiction risk

Prolonged conflict and instability make Yemen a high-risk jurisdiction. Any Yemeni nexus warrants heightened sanctions and PEP screening and a careful risk assessment.

FATF increased monitoring (grey list)

Yemen has been on the FATF's list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring since 2010, one of the longest-standing entries on the list, reflecting persistent strategic deficiencies in its AML/CTF regime.

MENAFATF

Yemen is also a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, the regional body that promotes FATF standards across the region.

Obligations

What regulated businesses must do.

  • Customer due diligence on customers and beneficial owners
  • Enhanced due diligence for high-risk relationships
  • File suspicious transaction reports with the Financial Information Unit
  • Screen against applicable sanctions and PEP lists
  • Ongoing monitoring of customer transactions
  • Staff training and record keeping
1,000+
Global watchlists screened
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Average screening response
24h
Watchlist refresh cycle
195
Countries covered
FAQ

Common questions.

Who supervises AML/CTF in Yemen?

The Central Bank of Yemen is the AML/CTF supervisor for banks and exchange companies, and the Financial Information Unit, Yemen's financial intelligence unit, sits within it. In practice supervision is fragmented, because the central bank has been split since 2016 between the internationally recognised authority in Aden and a rival administration in Sana'a that issues conflicting instructions to the same institutions. Treat Yemeni supervision as unreliable rather than absent.

What is the main AML law in Yemen?

AML/CFT Law No. 1 of 2010 is Yemen's principal AML statute, setting customer due diligence, record-keeping, and suspicious transaction reporting obligations for reporting entities.

Why is Yemen treated as a high-risk jurisdiction?

Prolonged conflict and limited institutional capacity make Yemen a high-risk jurisdiction. Yemen has also been on the FATF's list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (the grey list) since 2010. Any Yemeni nexus warrants elevated sanctions and PEP screening and a careful jurisdiction-risk assessment.

How does MemberCheck support screening for Yemen exposure?

MemberCheck screens customers and entities against global sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media data, flags jurisdiction risk, and monitors exposure continuously, with an audit trail behind every decision.

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