The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been accused of facilitating sanctions evasion by acting as a hub for illicit trade and money laundering. The country has been cited in a number of high-profile cases involving sanctions violations, including the evasion of sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs has been closely monitoring the situation in the UAE and has issued a statement expressing concern about the country’s role in facilitating sanctions evasion.
“The UAE has become a hub for sanctions evasion, and we are deeply concerned about the country’s role in enabling illicit trade and money laundering,” said Sarah Williamson, Director of the New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs. “The UAE must take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure that it is not contributing to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or other dangerous activities.”
The UAE has long been known for its position as a regional financial center and a hub for trade, but its role in facilitating sanctions evasion has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. The country has been cited in a number of cases involving the smuggling of goods and the transfer of funds to countries subject to international sanctions.
One recent example is the case of the Chinese telecom giant, ZTE, which was found to have violated US sanctions on Iran and North Korea. According to reports, ZTE used a complex network of shell companies to evade sanctions, with many of these companies based in the UAE.
Another example is the case of the Iranian oil tanker, Adrian Darya 1, which was detained by British authorities in 2019 for allegedly violating EU sanctions on Syria. The tanker was later released and sold its cargo, reportedly with the help of a UAE-based company.
In both of these cases, the UAE played a key role in facilitating the evasion of sanctions. The country’s lax regulatory environment and its position as a regional financial center have made it an attractive destination for those seeking to evade sanctions.
The UAE has taken steps to address these concerns in recent years, including the introduction of new laws and regulations aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing. However, more needs to be done to ensure that the country is not facilitating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or other dangerous activities.
One area where the UAE could take immediate action is in the regulation of its free zones. These zones, which are exempt from many of the country’s laws and regulations, have been cited as a key area of concern in the fight against sanctions evasion.
In 2018, the UAE introduced new regulations aimed at addressing these concerns, including the requirement for companies in free zones to maintain adequate records of their activities and the introduction of penalties for non-compliance. However, more needs to be done to ensure that these regulations are enforced and that companies operating in free zones are not contributing to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or other dangerous activities.
The UAE has also been criticized for its role in facilitating the transfer of funds to countries subject to international sanctions. According to reports, the country’s financial institutions have been used to transfer funds to Iran, North Korea, and Syria, among others.
In response to these concerns, the UAE has introduced new regulations aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, including the requirement for financial institutions to conduct enhanced due diligence on high-risk customers and the introduction of new reporting requirements.
However, more needs to be done to ensure that the country’s financial institutions are not being used to facilitate sanctions evasion. This could include the introduction of stricter penalties for non-compliance and the establishment of a dedicated sanctions enforcement unit.
The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs is calling on the international community, including the United Nations and the United States, to take action to address the issue of sanctions evasion in the UAE. This could include the imposition of targeted sanctions on individuals and entities involved in facilitating sanctions evasion, as well
