# Mamdani loves Arsenal. He should challenge them to cut ties with the UAE over Sudan | Sasha Lezhnev and John Prendergast

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/mamdani-loves-arsenal-he-should-challenge-them-to-cut-ties-with-the-uae-over-sudan-sasha-lezhnev-and-john-prendergast/
- Published: 2026-10-23T14:30:09+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T15:20:15+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/oct/23/zohran-mamdani-arsenal-emirates-uae-sudan-sponsorship
- Topics: Art, Culture, Sport

## Key points

- 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.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.