Islamabad, June 30, 2025 – A significant crackdown is underway, directly impacting Pakistani nationals who have invested at least 2 million AED in real estate across Dubai and the broader UAE. Under the umbrella of income tax regulations and anti-money laundering laws, authorities are now actively tracing these individuals, leveraging immigration records meticulously maintained by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Sources confirm that this targeted effort aims to identify Pakistani property buyers in the UAE and verify whether their substantial real estate holdings have been duly declared in their asset statements back home. Disturbingly, reports suggest that a considerable number of Pakistani nationals have failed to disclose these UAE real estate investments, along with any rental earnings or profit gains, in their tax filings in Pakistan. Furthermore, many have yet to settle the Capital Value Tax (CVT) that is applicable on overseas assets.
Thousands of Pakistani citizens currently hold the coveted 10-year UAE Golden Residency Visas (Iqama), granted primarily on the basis of their significant investments. When these individuals present their Golden Residency cards at immigration counters in Pakistan, the information, including their name, passport ID, occupation listed as “property investor,” and visa dates, is scanned and meticulously stored within the FIA’s immigration database. This data is now proving instrumental in the ongoing investigation.
While a bilateral tax agreement exists between Pakistan and the UAE, theoretically allowing for data sharing, tax professionals indicate that the UAE has not yet provided specific financial details to Pakistani authorities under the Automatic Exchange of Information framework. This is largely because UAE bank accounts are often opened using the residency ID rather than a Pakistani passport, complicating the flow of financial information. This has inadvertently contributed to the widespread non-disclosure of property holdings in the UAE by Pakistani citizens. In many cases, these investments have been facilitated through unofficial money transfer systems, chosen for their perceived affordability and ease.
