Belarusian journalists expose ties between UAE tycoon and Łukašenka regime

September 22, Pozirk. The Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) has revealed new evidence linking a prominent UAE businessman to Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime.

According to the investigation, Mohammed Ahmad Salem Alzaraim Alsuwaidi, a major player in the Lithuanian real estate market, has cooperated with Łukašenka’s cronies for nearly two decades—yet remains unsanctioned.

The BIC reports that Alsuwaidi is behind the developer Puiki investicija (Eng.: Great Investment), which owns more than 150 real estate properties across Lithuania. He controls the company through two British firms, Dominum Financing and Dominum Europe, each holding a 50-percent stake.

Alsuwaidi has long maintained close business ties with Viktar Šaŭcoŭ, a Belarusian businessman linked to Łukašenka and sanctioned by the European Union and Switzerland. Together, they controlled the construction company Biełzamiežbud (Rus.: Belzarubezhstroy), which was renamed VijaSETrejd in 2022.

In addition to his involvement in Belarusian government projects and construction in Vilnius, Alsuwaidi has also pursued ventures in the UAE. He once controlled Future Metro Technical Contracting, a firm contracted for major projects such as Dubai International Airport and the Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences.

Investigators note that Šaŭcoŭ co-owned Future Metro Technical Contracting. Archived versions of the company’s website from 2016 and 2017 state that Biełzamiežbud had acquired the business.

“Since at least 2016, Future Metro has been a subsidiary of Biełzamiežbud. By securing contracts from the Pentagon and Emirati state funds, the company ultimately served the interests of the Belarusian authorities,” the BIC reported.

The Center stresses that it has not identified a single major project by Alsuwaidi that did not involve Šaŭcoŭ—Puiki investicija included.

“Šaŭcoŭ has been under European sanctions since August 2024, meaning he can no longer directly manage assets in Europe. However, many of his associates remain active in Lithuania,” the BIC notes.

Among them are Alexander Gribovsky and Vital Bandaryk, both of whom previously worked for Šaŭcoŭ and are now employed in Lithuanian companies linked to him.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, a former Lithuanian defense minister and current member of parliament, has requested that the government and the Financial Investigation Service—responsible for sanctions enforcement—examine the findings.

“Let’s see what they say, because we need to track down all the associates,” Kasčiūnas commented. He acknowledged that the process will be complex, involving multiple layers and proxies, but emphasized that authorities can act once the ultimate beneficiary is identified and evidence is gathered.

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