'Dubai Unlocked': Why has the city become a safe haven for alleged criminals and corrupt figures?

Dubai, as per a report released on Tuesday (May 14) has emerged as a meeting point for criminals from across the world.

A collaboration of over 70 media outlets and Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) titled 'Dubai Unlocked' has revealed that the city "has opened its doors to hundreds of people accused of criminality around the globe."

Dubai is where dubious individuals, from "alleged money launderers and drug lords, to political figures accused of corruption and businessmen sanctioned for financing terrorism," all clean their cash through real estate.

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But Why Dubai? Here's what the report says.

Dubai: A crossroads of commerce and criminals?

Dubai, which "has long served as a crossroads for commerce" has now "become a meeting point for men and women from around the globe who have been accused of criminality and corruption."

As per the report "for those looking to launder or hide cash" Dubai, which has a reputation for financial secrecy, low taxes, and an ever-expanding spread of valuable real estate, is an appealing option.

However, it adds that Dubai is far from the only city that attracts criminals looking to stash their wealth.

"New York City and London real estate have also been known to attract dirty money," says the report.

But, why Dubai?

According to experts interviewed by OCCRP, several factors contribute to Dubai's appeal as a place to stash wealth, "particularly for those who are thwarted by sanctions from owning property in Western democracies, or are on the run from law enforcement".

One major factor, it says, is the "emirate's inconsistent responses to requests from foreign authorities for help arresting and extraditing fugitives."

According to Radha Stirling, an attorney and human rights advocate leading the legal assistance organisation 'Detained in Dubai,' UAE authorities use high-profile fugitives as "bargaining chips."

"The presence of extradition agreements between nations are not necessarily key to whether or not people are extradited," said Stirling.

According to Sauod Abdulaziz Almutawa, an officer from Dubai police’s anti-money laundering department, "What matters is what Dubai wants in return and whether that nation has something they want enough to barter."

Emirate's justice system, as per Jodi Vittori, a Georgetown University professor studying corruption and illicit finance, is 'a black hole'.

"It is unclear why the UAE will work with some law enforcement in some cases to arrest criminals located in the UAE and in other cases, they do not," she told OCCRP adding, "In many ways, the UAE is a law enforcement black hole."

(With inputs from agencies)