Summary. For years Dubai and the United Arab Emirates were seen as a “safe haven” for people running from tax, bankruptcy, or corruption charges in Italy. That changed with the 2015 Italy–UAE extradition treaty, in force since 2017 — though in practice cooperation is still uneven. If you think distance alone keeps you safe, this guide explains why that is no longer true, and what the real picture looks like in 2026.

In brief

  • Italy and the UAE signed a bilateral extradition treaty on 16 September 2015, in force from 2017.
  • Cooperation in practice is selective: it works well for serious crimes (terrorism, money laundering, organised crime), more slowly for tax and bankruptcy offences.
  • The UAE does not generally extradite its own nationals (a feature shared with most civil-law jurisdictions).
  • The 2022 Italy-UAE judicial cooperation agreement strengthened mutual legal assistance.
  • A red notice published on Interpol does not by itself trigger extradition: it requires a formal request transmitted through diplomatic channels.

Why Dubai became the “fugitive’s paradise” myth

Until the mid-2010s, the United Arab Emirates was widely perceived in Italy as a non-extradition jurisdiction. Three factors fed the perception:

  1. The absence — until 2015 — of a bilateral extradition treaty with Italy.
  2. A non-disclosing banking system, before the UAE’s adherence to the FATF standards and the OECD CRS in 2017-2018.
  3. A real estate market open to non-residents with limited due diligence, especially in Dubai.

In my experience as an international criminal defence lawyer, the perception was always partial. Even before the treaty, extradition was possible on grounds of international comity (the so-called aut dedere aut iudicare principle, particularly for offences covered by UN conventions to which the UAE is a party).

  • Bilateral Extradition Treaty Italy-UAE, 16 September 2015 (in force 2017).
  • Bilateral MLA Agreement Italy-UAE, 2015 (judicial cooperation in criminal matters).
  • 2022 supplementary cooperation accords.
  • UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, Palermo 2000 (UAE party).
  • UN Convention against Corruption, Merida 2003 (UAE party).
  • Italian Code of Criminal Procedure, Book XI (Articles 696-722) — Extradition.
  • Interpol Statute and Rules on the Processing of Data, 2012 (as amended 2023).

The 2015 treaty: what it actually changed

The bilateral treaty established a formal framework for extradition requests. The treaty:

  • Lists offences for which extradition is granted (essentially: offences punishable in both jurisdictions with at least one year of imprisonment — dual criminality).
  • Excludes extradition for political offences, military offences, and offences carrying the death penalty in the requesting State (a standard safeguard).
  • Permits the UAE to refuse extradition of its own nationals (Article on nationality).
  • Provides procedural deadlines and supporting documentation requirements.

In practice, the volume of extradition requests transmitted from Italy to the UAE has grown steadily since 2017. The cooperation rate is significant but selective: corruption, money laundering, and organised crime cases are processed faster than pure tax fraud cases.

The Interpol channel

Many Italian fugitives in Dubai end up arrested not on direct extradition request, but on the basis of an Interpol red notice. The UAE, like most countries, treats the red notice as sufficient basis for provisional arrest pending a formal extradition request from the issuing State.

The defence response has two main lines:

  • Challenge the underlying procedure in Italy (e.g., setting aside the arrest warrant).
  • Challenge the red notice before the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) in Lyon, on grounds of Article 2 (incompatibility with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) or Article 3 (political nature) of the Interpol Statute.

What does not extradite is still vulnerable

Even when extradition is refused or stalled, the Italian fugitive in Dubai faces parallel risks:

  1. Asset seizure abroad. The 2018 Italy-UAE MLA cooperation enables freezing and confiscation of assets even where the person is not extradited.
  2. Trial in absentia (now “giudizio in assenza” reformed by D.lgs. 150/2022). The Italian proceeding goes ahead; conviction becomes enforceable.
  3. Loss of mobility. Active red notices restrict transit through major hubs (Schengen Area, US, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong).
  4. Banking exclusion. AML watchlists (World-Check, Dow Jones Risk Center) propagate the red notice to compliance databases used by banks worldwide.

In my professional experience, the most painful consequence for the Dubai-based fugitive is not the threat of surrender — it is the geographic and financial cage that builds around them.

Typical cases

[CASE STUDY — TO BE PROVIDED] Case 1. Italian entrepreneur in Dubai sought for bankruptcy offences. Extradition request from Italy. Defence at multiple levels: dual criminality challenge, statute of limitations argument, CCF Interpol challenge. Outcome: extradition request stalled, parallel patrimonial settlement in Italy.

[CASE STUDY — TO BE PROVIDED] Case 2. Italian national arrested in Dubai on red notice for tax fraud. CCF Interpol successfully removed the notice on grounds of motivational defects in the underlying warrant. Released within 6 weeks.

FAQ

Is Dubai still a “safe haven” for Italian fugitives in 2026? The 2015 treaty, the 2022 cooperation accords, and AML compliance pressures have significantly changed the landscape. It is no longer a safe haven in the traditional sense: rather, a jurisdiction with selective cooperation and high reputational pressure.

Can a UAE national be extradited to Italy? No: the treaty allows the UAE to refuse extradition of its own nationals. Naturalised Emirati citizens are also protected. The UAE may, in principle, prosecute the offence domestically.

What happens if an Italian is arrested in Dubai on red notice? Local police detain provisionally, then the UAE Public Prosecution contacts Italian authorities for the formal request. Italy has up to 40-60 days (variable by treaty) to submit the documentation. Without it, the person is released.

Can I challenge an Interpol red notice from Dubai? Yes. The CCF in Lyon accepts requests from anywhere in the world. The procedure can be conducted in parallel with the local detention proceedings.

Does buying real estate in Dubai protect me from extradition? No. Property ownership has no bearing on the extradition decision under the bilateral treaty.

Closing comment

The “Dubai paradise” narrative of the 2000s and early 2010s has not survived the legal and compliance changes of the past decade. Today’s Italian fugitive in the UAE faces a more complex but still navigable landscape — provided defence strategy is constructed early and across multiple jurisdictions.

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Author box

Avv. Alexandro Maria Tirelli Italian criminal lawyer, member of the Supreme Court Bar (Cassazionista). International criminal law academic. Author and litigator in extradition, MAE and red notice matters. Full profile — Publications

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  • dateModified: 2026-06-15
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About the author

Avv. Alexandro Maria Tirelli — Italian criminal-defence lawyer (Cassazionista), founding partner of International Lawyers Associates. Specialized in extradition, EAW, international narcotics law. President of ISNITS since 2024.

  • University of Turin; LIUC Carlo Cattaneo
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