UAE a 'haven for Russian oligarchs' that should be blacklisted: critics
Politicians and critics of Putin's government have accused the of allowing Russian oligarchs to circumvent international sanctions, calling for the country to be blacklisted, according to .
Private jets and yachts linked to oligarchs reportedly headed to the Gulf state once the international community sanctioned them for their role in Russia’s invasion of .
Brevet 👇🏻
— Kira M. Peter-Hansen (@Kira_MPH)
Last month, a group of Members of European Parliament wrote to the European commissioner for finance to blacklist the UAE for failing to sanction the Russian oligarchs, and accused the Gulf State of facilitating '.'
It recently emerged that the private jet of former Chelsea Football Club owner, Roman Abramovich has been in Dubai for the past three months. Considered one of the world’s most expensive private aircraft, its last recorded flight was from Moscow to Dubai on 4 March - days after Russia launched its invasion.
Great forfeiture work by FBI/DOJ, with significant detail about a portion of Abramovich's shell company structure.
— Peter Strzok (@petestrzok)
The Gulfstream appears to be in Russia, but his custom $350 million Boeing 787 is in Dubai. Interesting test for a lot of tangible oligarch assets in the region.
Meanwhile, a £240 million superyacht that had disappeared from tracking systems, linked to Russian Andrey Melnichenko, was seen in Ras al-Khaimah, according to the .
“Dubai has long been a safe place for dirty money,” said Bill Browder, a former banker and prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as quoted in the Observer. “It should now be put on financial blacklists and its leaders shouldn’t be welcome here.”
Blacklist Dubai over failure to crack down on Russian oligarchs, say campaigners
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder)
The UAE has always been a popular destination for Russian tourists, but it seems to have become a haven for Russians connected to Putin to circumvent sanctions. In addition to the planes and yachts, there has been a rise in the number of Russians purchasing properties in the country.
Earlier this year, a report by Betterhomes concluded that property purchases in Dubai have surged by 67 percent in the first quarter of 2022.