CBUAE and Dubai Public Prosecution Launch Digital Blood Money Claims System

{getToc} $title={Table of Contents}

CBUAE launches electronic system for blood money claims. Streamlining insurance settlements and legal transparency in the UAE.

The CBUAE and Dubai Public Prosecution launched a first-of-its-kind electronic system in December 2025 to digitalise the settlement of blood money (Diyyah) claims in Dubai.
The system connects all CBUAE-licensed insurance companies to Dubai Public Prosecution via the Central Bank's digital platform, replacing manual paper-based workflows.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the CBUAE and DPP to formalise roles, responsibilities, and the cooperation framework underpinning the system.
The initiative forms part of the UAE government's Zero Bureaucracy Programme, targeting reduced paperwork, faster processing, and improved transparency.
Insurers will receive electronic notifications of blood money judgments and execute payments through channels traceable by both the regulator and prosecutorial authorities.
Brokers and intermediaries in motor, liability, and personal accident lines should expect reduced documentation requests and clearer visibility of claim status.

UAE Insurance Supervision Framework Takes a Major Digital Step Forward

The CBUAE's expanding role in UAE insurance supervision has brought a sustained focus on consumer protection, regulatory oversight, and digital integration across the sector. This latest initiative represents the regulator's most direct move yet to bridge financial and judicial infrastructure - connecting licensed insurance companies to Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) through a shared Central Bank digital platform. It forms part of a broader effort to align the UAE's insurance framework with modern standards for speed, accountability, and transparency.

For policyholders, beneficiaries, and their advisors, the practical impact centres on the Diyyah claims process - the settlement of blood money arising from incidents such as traffic accidents. Under the Zero Bureaucracy Programme, the UAE is systematically reducing friction between judicial decisions and financial settlements. This system directly addresses longstanding challenges around documentation delays and multi-party coordination between courts, prosecution offices, and insurers.

A Digital Bridge Between Prosecution and Insurers

The CBUAE and the Dubai Public Prosecution launched a joint electronic claims system in December 2025, with the official announcement carrying an Abu Dhabi dateline of 18 December 2025. The system integrates all CBUAE-licensed insurers with DPP via the Central Bank's digital platform, replacing paper-based processes with fully electronic data exchange. When a judicial authority issues a blood money judgment and routes it through DPP, claim details are transmitted directly to the relevant insurer for verification and payment.

According to Gulf News and Zawya, the system is described as the first electronic platform of its kind in the UAE specifically dedicated to blood money settlement. Officials and regional insurance media consistently frame it as an innovative model that could serve as a template for broader adoption, though no formal expansion timetable has been announced.

What is Blood Money (Diyyah) and Why Does it Matter to Insurers?

Blood money - known in Islamic jurisprudence as Diyyah - is a financial compensation awarded to the heirs of a deceased person or to an injured party following certain criminal or civil proceedings. In the UAE, it most commonly arises from traffic accidents and other incidents where liability insurance policies are required to fund the payment on behalf of the at-fault party. For insurers and brokers operating in motor, general liability, and personal accident lines, Diyyah represents a significant and sensitive category of claim.

The complexity of these claims has historically stemmed from the need to coordinate between judicial milestones, prosecution procedures, and insurer payment workflows - often across paper-based channels with limited visibility for any party. The new system directly targets this gap.

How the System Works in Practice

Licensed insurers connected to the CBUAE's digital platform will receive electronic notifications once a blood money judgment has been processed at the prosecution level. They are then expected to validate policy coverage, confirm liability limits, and verify beneficiary information within defined timeframes. Payments must be executed through channels that are traceable by both the CBUAE and DPP, supporting a clear audit trail for regulatory and judicial oversight.

While the CBUAE's public communications do not detail specific technical specifications - such as APIs, data formats, or service level agreements - they consistently emphasise that the system enables seamless, end-to-end digital settlement. Middle East Insurance Review reports that the platform is expected to shorten the time between a final judicial decision and actual disbursement to beneficiaries, improving both liquidity certainty and overall claimant experience.

The Zero Bureaucracy Programme Connection

The CBUAE explicitly positions the system within the UAE government's Zero Bureaucracy Programme - a federal initiative targeting the automation of administrative procedures and the elimination of unnecessary paperwork across public and regulated sectors. The initiative aligns with the CBUAE's broader trajectory of consolidating insurance supervision and building digital infrastructure across the sector following the transfer of insurance oversight to the Central Bank under Federal Law decisions in recent years.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two institutions to define roles and responsibilities and to formalise the framework for ongoing cooperation. The MoU was signed on behalf of the CBUAE by H.E. Fatma Abdullah Aljabri, Assistant Governor for Financial Crime, Market Conduct and Consumer Protection, and on behalf of DPP by Counselor Salah Boufrousha Alfalasi, Senior Advocate General and Head of Traffic Prosecution in Dubai.

Senior Officials Underline Strategic Importance

The launch ceremony was attended by H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, and H.E. Essam Issa Alhumaidan, Attorney General of Dubai, alongside senior officials from both institutions. Fatma Abdullah Aljabri stated that the system reflects the CBUAE's commitment to digital transformation and the development of financial services, and directly contributes to stronger consumer protection and more robust oversight of licensed insurers.

Counselor Alfalasi described the project as "a successful model of cooperation between the financial and judicial entities" of the UAE, noting that it lays a foundation for accelerating procedures and improving the blood money settlement process through advanced digital solutions. His remarks suggest the system is intended not only to digitise existing workflows but also to standardise and improve the broader framework for calculating, recording, and disbursing Diyyah in coordination with the insurance sector.

Implications for Brokers and Intermediaries

For brokers and intermediaries in liability lines, the system delivers greater transparency on where a claim stands throughout the prosecution and settlement process. Reduced manual documentation exchanges should cut processing times and limit disputes over claim progress or outstanding paperwork. The alignment of settlement timelines with judicial milestones is particularly relevant for serious traffic accident cases handled by the Dubai Traffic Prosecution.

Zawya and Arabian Business note that the system is expected to enhance confidence in both the UAE's financial and judicial systems - particularly among policyholders and families relying on insurance-funded Diyyah awards. For compliance teams at insurers and brokerage houses, the electronic link with DPP via the CBUAE platform is likely to introduce new obligations around connection to the platform, claims data management, and payment execution timeframes.

What Clients are Asking their Advisors

What is Diyyah and when does it trigger an insurance payout in the UAE?

Diyyah is a financial compensation in Islamic jurisprudence paid to the heirs of a deceased person or to an injured party following certain criminal or civil proceedings. In the UAE, it most commonly arises from traffic accidents, where motor and liability insurance policies may be required to fund the payment on behalf of the at-fault party. The amount is set by judicial authorities and must be paid regardless of whether the insured party has the personal means to do so.

How will insurers receive and process blood money claims under the new CBUAE digital system?

Once a blood money judgment is issued by a competent judicial authority and routed through Dubai Public Prosecution, claim details are transmitted electronically to the relevant licensed insurer via the CBUAE's digital platform. Insurers are then expected to validate policy coverage, confirm liability limits and beneficiary details, and execute payment through channels traceable by both the CBUAE and prosecution authorities. The process eliminates the need for manual document submission between courts, prosecution, and insurers.

How does the electronic blood money settlement system improve on the previous process?

Previously, blood money claims relied on paper-based documentation and manual coordination between courts, prosecution, and insurers - a process prone to delays, errors, and unclear status tracking for all parties. The new system replaces this with real-time electronic data exchange, providing a transparent audit trail and aligning payment timelines directly with judicial milestones. For beneficiaries and policyholders, this should mean faster, more predictable settlements.

Could the CBUAE blood money settlement system be extended beyond Dubai to other emirates?

Officials and regional media have described the system as a potential model for replication across other emirates, given that all licensed insurers in the UAE fall under CBUAE supervision regardless of where they operate. However, no formal expansion timetable or agreements with other prosecutorial authorities have been announced at this stage. Any future extension would require similar MoU arrangements between the CBUAE and the relevant prosecution or judicial authorities in each emirate.