Wealthy Russians flock to Dubai as west tightens sanctions

Wealthy Russians flock to Dubai as west tightens sanctions

Russians have flocked to set up businesses and buy property in the United Arab Emirates in an effort to secure residence and park assets in the Gulf as the US, UK and EU tighten financial sanctions, relocation experts, brokers and lawyers said.

President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, western sanctions on the Russian central bank and the removal of some lenders from the Swift messaging network have made it harder for Russians to establish themselves outside their home country.

Some are looking to the UAE, long a financial haven for those fleeing instability as well as a popular tourism and investment destination for Russians. There are already an estimated 40,000 Russians and 15,000 Ukrainians in the UAE, along with about 60,000 Russian-speaking expatriates from former Soviet states. Oligarchs’ superyachts often drop anchor in Dubai, a playground for the super-rich.

“Russians are now unwelcome banking customers in Europe, even though the majority went there to get away from Putin”, said Peter Gray, partner at ADG Legal in Dubai. “People are worried about what the banks will do — the banks are afraid of sanctions and expensive investigations and so are reluctant to continue business with Russian nationals, regardless of their political affiliation.”

While the UAE