Global collaborative investigative journalism project reveals property ownership of global elite in Dubai
Following major revelations about thousands of elite property owners in Dubai, two United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassies reaffirmed their commitment and seriousness to safeguarding the global financial system.
“The country takes its role in protecting the integrity of the global financial system very seriously,” read statements issued by the UAE embassies in the United Kingdom and Norway.
However, UAE officials (including the ministries of Interior, Economy and Justice) and Dubai police did not respond to detailed questions.
The statement issued by the UAE embassies further said that the country continues to pursue global criminals while working closely with international partners to disrupt and deter all forms of illicit financing.
“The United Arab Emirates is committed to continuing these efforts and actions more than ever today and in the long term,” he added.
The response came after a global collaborative investigative journalism project revealed the global elite's property ownership in Dubai.
The project, 'Dubai Unlocked', based on data providing a detailed overview of hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai and information on their ownership or use, largely from 2020 and 2022, emerged on Tuesday.
Properties purchased in the name of companies and those located in commercial areas are not part of this analysis.
The list includes political figures, globally sanctioned individuals, suspected money launderers and criminals. Pakistanis have also been identified on the list and their combined worth has been estimated at around $11 billion.
More than a dozen retired military officers and their families, as well as bankers and bureaucrats, own properties in exclusive areas of Dubai, according to data revealed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project's (OCCRP) Dubai Unlocked project.
