While Anar Alizade is best known for his Azeri oil trading activities, his real estate activities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have flown under the radar. Yet, in 2022 alone, he bought five luxury apartments in Dubai.
Recently, Alizade made the news for his supposed Russian ties. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, he has reportedly visited Moscow numerous times and organized the transport of sanctioned Russian oil, circumventing international sanctions. He is also said to have tried to kill an Azeri national living in exile in France on three separate occasions.
Shady Real Estate Operation in Dubai Marina
Anar Alizade publicly declared himself one of the first Azeris to settle companies in Dubai since the early 2000s, starting with computer electronics and evolving to petrochemical product trading. It seems that he has now turned to real estate.
In August 2022, Anar Alizade bought five apartments in Dubai ranging from 70 sqm to 191 sqm, all in the same luxury building, “Address The Bay”, located in the residential resort Emaar Beachfront, facing the sea, for 20.5 million dollars in total. The building comprises an infinity pool, a private beach, a gym, and all the usual concierge services.
Since 2022, the UAE has been on the “gray list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international money-laundering watchdog. Moreover, in May 2024, an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigation revealed that Dubai real estate was riddled with dirty money. The investigation notably cites the Emaar Beachfront complex as hosting apartments belonging to Australian criminals. Over the past decade, Dubai has become the place to be for tax evasion, money laundering and embargo evasion.
The question remains: is Anar Alizade laundering the proceedings of opaque oil deals through the Emirati state, or is he just a regular resident occupying five flats at once?
