Tracing assets moved to Dubai and the UAE

Short answer: assets moved to Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE can often be traced, but not from UK records alone. It takes enquiries on the ground in the UAE, an understanding of how property and companies are held there, and evidence prepared so that lawyers in England and in the UAE can use it.

The UAE draws money for ordinary reasons: a large property market, many company structures across mainland and free zones, an international banking centre and a large population of residents from abroad. The same features make it a common destination for assets moved away from creditors, former partners, spouses or the victims of fraud.

Tracing usually starts in the UK. Bank statements, company filings, emails and transfers disclosed in proceedings or already held by the client often show the first move out of the country: a payment to a UAE company, a purchase through an agent, or funds routed through a third country before arriving.

Then the work moves to the UAE. Property is a frequent focus, through Dubai Land Department and the land registries of the other emirates. Companies may be registered on the mainland or in one of many free zones, each with its own registry and rules on what is public, so finding the right register matters. Local enquiries establish who uses a property, who runs a business and whose name stands in for whom.

Lifestyle evidence matters as much as records. Vehicles, residence, business activity and social presence in the UAE can show who really controls an asset held in another person's or a company's name.

Lines are not crossed. Bank records, phone data and other personal information are not obtained by pretexting or paying insiders, in the UK or the UAE. In England that is an offence under section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018, and evidence obtained that way can sink the case it was meant to support. Lawful routes to bank information run through the courts.

The evidence supports legal steps in both places. In England, lawyers may seek a freezing injunction, sometimes worldwide, with an order to disclose assets. In the UAE, local lawyers advise on the courts available, including the onshore courts and the common-law DIFC Courts, and on recognising and enforcing orders. The investigator's job is to show what exists, where and who controls it, in a form those lawyers can rely on.

Speed matters. Once someone realises they are being pursued, property can be sold and money moved again. A short, focused first phase that confirms the main assets in the UAE is usually worth more than a long report that arrives too late.

Cato & Veil has an office in Dubai and works on UK-UAE asset tracing alongside clients' lawyers. The first conversation with Neel Chakrabarti is free and confidential. Tell us what is owed or what was taken and what links it to the UAE; we will tell you what can realistically be traced and agree scope and fees before any work begins.

Cato & Veil practice note. General information, not legal advice. Court applications in England and in the UAE are made by lawyers qualified in each jurisdiction; investigators gather and present the evidence.