UK media’s unethical promotion of Dubai property market

“At this point, UK citizens who lose their money in the Dubai property market could not be blamed for holding British media outlets accountable, ethically if not legally,” says an exasperated Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of Detained in Dubai. She is reacting to the latest article in the UK press touting the UAE as a smart place to invest. “It is truly appalling that these promotional stories never include information about the huge risks involved in Dubai real estate, not to mention the overall dangers foreign nationals face in the UAE.

“Dubai's property market has been described as a haven for money laundering, with criminals and terrorists using the market to hide their assets, according to a report by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies,” Stirling explains, “The report identifies some $100 million in suspicious purchases of apartments and villas across Dubai, yet these newspapers shamelessly champion the UAE as a destination for investment. No mention is made of the lax regulatory environment in Dubai, the rampant criminality and fraud, nor are there even stories of British citizens who have lost their life savings because they believed their own media about how smart it is to buy property in the UAE.”

• Dubai property market a minefield of laundering, scams, and sanctions evasion The Dubai real estate market has long been a popular destination for foreign investors, with its attractive tax and investment incentives, luxurious lifestyle offerings and rapid development. However, Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International...Read More