Investigations

In the context of the “Dubai Unlocked” project, which was carried out in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), our investigation into Dubai real estate data and documents revealed properties belonging to individuals associated with Hezbollah and listed on US sanctions lists. This raises many questions about the UAE’s due diligence process and Dubai authorities’ compliance with international sanctions lists, especially given the tense relations between the parties.

Major Western European oil companies such as BP (British Petroleum), Italy’s Eni (Agenzia Nazionale Idrocarburi), TotalEnergies, and Shell are among the top ten polluters in Africa and the Middle East due to their gas flaring practices. These companies are responsible for releasing toxins into the air, polluting the environment, and harming public health. This was revealed by the investigation titled “Igniting the Sky,” led by the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) in collaboration with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), Daraj Media, Source Material, and the Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism.

This investigation examines the total gas flaring in the countries of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman. It is part of a series of investigative reports within the cross-border “Burning Skies” project on gas flaring, led by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), in cooperation with the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) and several media platforms, including Daraj.

Despite Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) adopting a voluntary policy to prevent routine gas flaring twenty years ago, the policy has not been effectively enforced, as revealed by the project data.

This investigation is part of a series of investigative reports within the cross-border “Burning Skies” project on gas flaring, led by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), in cooperation with the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) and several media platforms, including Daraj.

The full name of Kamel Abu Ali was listed in the Dominica Official Gazette, which includes individuals who obtained Dominican citizenship either by paying $200,000 if their family consists of four people (as in the case of Abu Ali), or through investing the same amount in its lands.

The project reveals that around 7,700 people have purchased Dominican citizenship, which enables them to travel worldwide without a visa. This list includes a diverse group of politicians, suspicious or criminal businessmen, and lawbreakers.