The United Arab Emirates government purchased 18 acres of land along the Potomac River in McLean, Virginia, for $55 million, with plans of building a compound.

In 2022, the UAE bought three lots from a trust connected to UUNet Technologies founder Richard L. Adams Jr. in a single off-market sale, according to the Washington Business Journal. The parcels of land are located 3 miles from the CIA headquarters at 1019, 1049, and 1079 Crest Lane with no existing structures except for an outbuilding.