CTV News in Canada on 12th June reported that a report by the Washington-based Center for Advanced Defence Studies (C4ADS), relying on leaked property data from the city-state, which offers evidence about Dubai’s real-estate boom. It identifies some $100 million in suspicious purchases of apartments and villas across the city of skyscrapers in the UAE, where foreign ownership fuels construction that now outpaces local demand. The article notes that the US State Department issued a warning about money laundering in the UAE in this year’s annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, noting the country’s money-exchange shops can allow for “bulk cash smuggling”. The UAE’s economic free zones, real estate sector and its trade in gold and diamonds are also said to pose risks. The article identifies a number of names from the report – including President Assad’s cousin, a major drugs smuggler and Lebanese businessmen subject to US sanctions for links to Hezbollah.
The report is available at –
https://c4reports.squarespace.com/sandcastles
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