Mamdani loves Arsenal. He should challenge them to cut ties with the UAE over Sudan | Sasha Lezhnev and John Prendergast
The authors argue that New York mayor Zohran Mamdani should use his profile as a prominent Arsenal supporter to urge the club to end its sponsorship ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They say the partnership clashes with his advocacy for human rights because the UAE is accused of supplying weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while using high-profile sports deals to improve its image.
Emirates Airlines, owned by a Dubai-based state holding company, sponsors Arsenal’s shirts and stadium; the club’s deal runs to 2033 and is worth more than $100 million a season. The authors say the UAE has spent over $5.2 billion on sports sponsorships worldwide, and that 14 million people have been displaced and 21 million face acute hunger in Sudan. They point to Arsenal’s decision to drop Visit Rwanda as evidence the club may reconsider sponsorships linked to human rights abuses.
In short
- Authors urge Mamdani to press Arsenal to end its UAE sponsorship.
- The Emirates deal is worth over $100 million a season through 2033.
- The UAE is accused of supplying weapons to Sudan’s RSF.
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The case for
Mamdani could use his public profile to press Arsenal to reconsider a lucrative partnership that, the authors argue, helps the UAE polish its image while it is accused of arming Sudan’s RSF. Given the scale of displacement and hunger in Sudan, supporters of this approach may see ending the deal as a meaningful act of solidarity and a way to align the club’s commercial choices with human rights commitments.
The case against
Arsenal’s sponsorship is with Emirates Airlines, and critics of the proposal could argue that the airline should not automatically be treated as responsible for alleged UAE support to the RSF. The deal is long-term and commercially significant, so ending it may bring substantial costs without clearly changing UAE policy or conditions in Sudan; they might favour sustained pressure and scrutiny over a demand to cut ties.