Investigative Report Questions UAE Naturalization of Uzbek Presidential Security Deputy

According to a new investigation published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, Ozodlik, Otabek Umarov – Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s son-in-law – allegedly acquired citizenship in the United Arab Emirates in April 2023 while serving as deputy head of the Presidential Security Service. He is also alleged to own approximately $7 million worth of Dubai real estate.

These claims form the core of the inquiry. Under Uzbek military law, which governs the position Umarov held at the time, holding a second citizenship is prohibited. Since acquiring citizenship typically includes swearing an oath of allegiance, many countries bar security officials from doing so; a second passport represents a potential counterintelligence risk due to divided loyalties.

As reported, under UAE law, foreigners can only obtain citizenship through a nomination by a royal court or senior official, and the process requires swearing an oath of allegiance to the Emirates.

Umarov was removed from his security service role in November 2024, in the extended wake of the assassination attempt on Komil Allamjanov. Allamjanov, at the time of the October 2024 attempt, had recently stepped down from his role as deputy head of the presidential administration. He has since returned to government service, as an adviser to the powerful head of the presidential administration, Saida Mirziyoyeva (the president’s eldest daughter). As of January 2026, he was also appointed to a seemingly bespoke role: advisor-ambassador and representative of the presidential administration in the United States.

Umarov, meanwhile, was named first deputy chairman of Uzbekistan’s National Olympic Committee – his father-in-law, the president, remains chairman.

According to OCCRP and Ozodlik, at some point in 2025, Umarov became the listed owner of 13 properties in Dubai, worth around $7 million. The properties previously belonged to his younger brother, Oybek Umarov, who purchased them in 2021 and 2022, according to leaked Dubai real estate data obtained by OCCRP.

It remains unclear precisely how or when the assets came to be listed under Umarov’s name on the deeds, or whether the properties were gifted or purchased.

While Umarov has notably expensive tastes – for example, he has been pictured wearing a limited edition Richard Mille watch valued at up to $1.9 million – his government position does not fully explain his apparent wealth. Uzbek officials are not required to disclose their income declarations publicly.

Public commercial registries show no record of Umarov owning private companies during his time as deputy presidential security chief. His brother, however, does have extensive business holdings, including in banking, cement, and metalwork.

A high-ranking government source told The Diplomat in late 2024 that Umarov’s assets and businesses were held in the names of others, including Ulugbek Shadmanov, who was implicated in an apparent attempt to manipulate the U.S. sanctions system to target Allamjanov and another Uzbek official in the months before the assassination attempt. Shadmanov was earlier named in the Pandora Papers as connected to an offshore company, though few details are available. In December 2024, he was detained in Dubai and extradited rapidly to Uzbekistan, apparently without proper legal process, despite holding what is known as a “Golden Visa” in the UAE. Despite high-powered legal representation and a campaign on his behalf, very little has been reported since regarding his case.

Ultimately, the OCCRP and Ozodlik investigation raises far more questions than it answers; that is the nature of investigations into the opaque underbelly of Uzbek politics, and those of the UAE as well. As stated to Ozodlik, it is unknown exactly how Umarov acquired UAE citizenship, who was involved, and who knew about it. As noted above, the process to acquire UAE citizenship necessitates a nomination by a royal court or senior official. It is nearly impossible to believe that Umarov’s role and connections were unknown to the UAE’s authorities at the time.

Then there are questions of what comes next. Uzbekistan does not officially recognize dual citizenship. Holding a second citizenship is not illegal per se, though it does violate laws related to Umarov’s specific position at the time. Nevertheless, “voluntarily acquiring a passport of a foreign state” is listed as possible grounds for the revocation of Uzbek citizenship.

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