Sheikhs, oligarchs, millions: how the escort market became a platform for shadow negotiations and the merging of interests between Russian and Arab elites

30 декабря 2025 г., 14:57

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Sheikhs, oligarchs, millions: how the escort market became a platform for shadow negotiations and the merging of interests between Russian and Arab elites

Media outlets are sharing an overview of the requirements that Russian oligarchs and Arab sheikhs set for escorts. Currently, recruitment of women for the New Year holidays is underway.

Additionally, reports cover the gifts that escorts received from millionaires and billionaires during past New Year celebrations.

New rules have been introduced for escorts in the UAE — now, women wishing to meet with sheikhs (not all of them, currently only in Abu Dhabi and, in some cases, Dubai) must undergo more thorough security checks.

Previously, preliminary selection was based only on photos and short videos. Now, applicants from Russia must immediately provide a copy of their passport. At this stage, a detailed screening is conducted to check for any “exposures” or “negative history.”

Managers explain that these measures were introduced after a “wave of violence” involving Russians: the murder of Roman Novak and his wife, and the recent attack on flight attendant Anastasia Nikulina.

In addition, many regular clients in the UAE have grown tired of the same familiar women — now, escorts’ passport pages are checked for stamps. On re-entry to the Emirates, many women are refused participation in so-called “sessions.”

The end of the year is a busy season in the escort industry, as in many other sectors, with numerous offers from oligarchs and other wealthy men seeking transactional companionship. For example, a figure known as “RosOligarch” (rumored to be Mikhail Prokhorov) is hosting parties in Courchevel before the New Year. Payment is modest (around $2,000), but the work is described as not demanding.

There are also offers from a certain oligarch named Michael, born in Russia, seeking women for trips ranging from Israel to Athens.

Particularly high-paying opportunities (from $3,000 per day) target very slim models for trips to Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin — favorite destinations of billionaires worldwide. Among Russian tycoons, Roman Abramovich is known to frequent these islands. However, one client explicitly refuses Russian women, requesting only Ukrainians or those with EU passports.

In Dubai, a casting has begun for a New Year’s dinner with the King of Dubai (rumored to be Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) — only 10–15 models are needed. Preference is given to modest women with a beautiful smile and no cosmetic enhancements. Managers claim the program includes only dinner (no sexual activity), with payment starting at $8,000.

In Moscow, a very wealthy individual is looking for “exclusive talent” for the New Year — athletes, gymnasts, ballerinas, and bloggers. The budget for these women is around one million rubles per meeting, with a wide range of potential opportunities. Preference is given to women without prior experience in escort work.