Reports: UAE Sponsors Arsenal Amid Sudan Crisis Linked to Rapid Support Forces

What happened

The Guardian reports that Emirates Airlines, owned by the UAE government, is Arsenal football club's chief sponsor, including naming rights to the Emirates Stadium in London and an expanded contract through 2033 worth over $100 million per year.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The UAE has been linked in multiple investigations to arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese militia engaged in the ongoing war which has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, with 14 million people displaced and 21 million facing acute hunger.

This sponsorship deal, reportedly worth over $1 billion to the UAE, is part of a broader UAE strategy of sportswashing, spending more than $5.2 billion on sports sponsorships globally to improve its international image despite accusations of fueling conflict in Sudan.

Known from the source

• Emirates Airlines is Arsenal's main sponsor and the stadium is named Emirates Stadium.
• The sponsorship deal has been expanded through 2033 at more than $100 million per season.
• UAE is reportedly the RSF’s largest supplier of weapons and drones according to multiple investigations cited.
• Sudan’s war has caused displacement of 14 million people and 21 million face acute hunger.
• The UAE has spent over $5.2 billion on global sports sponsorships.

What remains unclear

The article highlights that Arsenal has previously responded to human rights concerns by ending its sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda after that country’s invasion of DR Congo, suggesting the club’s American owners, the Kroenkes, may be responsive to pressure over the current situation involving the UAE.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Independent verification of UAE's status as the RSF’s biggest supplier of weapons and drones. Verification of exact Arsenal sponsorship contract financial terms and duration. Confirmation that the RSF is sanctioned or involved in genocidal acts as claimed.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: The Guardian Sudan. Open the source.