The current Middle East conflict has resulted in the displacement of over 330,000 people who fled areas of hostilities to safer locations. One of the less frequently examined outcomes of conflict is the crisis of access. When people flee under fire, they often leave without IDs, title deeds, corporate records, or banking tokens – making it difficult to prove who they are and what they own.

Displacement and the Crisis of Access

In times of war or conflict, physical registries – land, company, and court archives – can be destroyed or become inaccessible. In Lebanon, for example, access to key government entities is currently restricted due to air strikes actively targeting the city’s capital. The military action is not exclusive to Lebanon and has affected multiple Middle Eastern jurisdictions such as Iran, Israel, Kuwait, UAE, among others. The resulting disruption has direct implications for due diligence, KYC, and asset-tracing for Middle Eastern clients.

UAE Dimension

Displaced individuals and business owners frequently route to regional financial hubs such, as the UAE, which already hosts over 200 different nationalities. The UAE faces a direct spillover of the conflict and is one of the GCC countries bearing ‘the highest cost‘ of the conflict. Both residents and non-residents holding assets, investments, property, or nominee interests in that jurisdiction become vulnerable. The practical challenges they face include expired or missing documents, frozen or de-risked accounts, and the inability to evidence source of wealth, particularly if home-country records are inaccessible. The situation was exacerbated on 11 March 2026 when Iran openly threatened to target US and Israeli-linked economic and banking interests across the region, spiking concerns through the GCC and particularly in UAE , ‘the epicentre of globalization’. This escalation in hostilities places additional risk on yet another information and wealth resource essential for DD.

FACT’s Assessment

The operational risk is clear: contested ownership, fraud, and misappropriation rise when displaced owners cannot easily assert control over their assets. In response, counterparties handling assets linked to conflict-affected individuals are likely to face heightened regulatory scrutiny.

FACT helps institutions navigate complex due diligence requirements by reconstructing ownership through alternative datasets, validating ownerships where documentation is fragmented, and stress-testing client portfolios with ties to the Middle East.