Abu Dhabi targets Hezbollah's financial network

The United Arab Emirates has added 16 Lebanese individuals and five entities operating in Lebanon to its terrorism list for their alleged links to Hezbollah, the official WAM news agency reported Tuesday.

The designated entities include al-Qard al-Hassan, Hezbollah's financial institution, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli airstrikes in 2024 and 2026, alongside Beit Mal el-Muslimin, al-Tashilat, and two accounting firms.

The UAE government stated the measure aims "to combat terrorism and terrorist financing worldwide," ordering all national regulatory bodies to identify any individual or entity maintaining financial or commercial relations with those listed, with asset freezes possible within 24 hours.

A pattern across the Gulf

The move is part of a broader Gulf-wide crackdown on Hezbollah networks that has intensified since the outbreak of the Iran conflict in late February. Kuwait and Bahrain have both carried out arrests of individuals their governments linked to Hezbollah — allegations the group has consistently denied.

The UAE's decision to blacklist al-Qard al-Hassan is particularly significant. The organisation functions as Hezbollah's primary financial backbone, providing banking services to the group's members and supporters across Lebanon. 

Its designation signals Abu Dhabi's determination to target not just Hezbollah's military capabilities, but its financial infrastructure — the lifeblood of an organisation whose Iranian patron is itself under severe economic and military pressure.

Hezbollah has not yet responded to Tuesday's designations.