Network of influence is spreading throughout the UK

By Investigations Team

THE United Arab Emirates has established an extensive portfolio of investments and a network of relationships in Britain, from cultural institutions to royalty and sport.

These links raise questions over the level of influence that the Gulf state has in the UK, especially given the concerns over its human rights record.

Education

Gordonstoun, where the King was a pupil, announced in October it would build an outpost on Abu Dhabi’s Jubail Island. It joined a string of British schools and universities with satellite campuses in the oil-rich nation.

Imperial College London has opened three diabetes treatment and research centres in the UAE, backed by one of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds, and in 2021 it emerged the Gulf state was attempting to engineer a partnership with the University of Cambridge. Leaked documents drawn up by university officials asked the board to approve an agreement to establish a joint institute in principle.

But it also raised “broad concerns about human rights in the UAE” and noted a “values gap” that presented a “risk” to Cambridge’s reputation. “We are fully aware of the UAE’S treatment of UK researchers and other visitors, which reflect a dramatically different cultural and legal context,” it said. The document also indicated the UK Government was supportive.

In the end, the deal fell apart. But the claims in the leaked document are likely to stoke fears the Government is too willing to overlook human rights concerns in order to promote financial partnerships with the Gulf state.

Manchester City

Bought in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi United Group, headed up by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi. Since the purchase, City have won the Premiership seven times. They have taken the title five times in the last six years, and are the bookmakers’ favourite to do so again this year.

Dwarfing the reported £200million paid for the club are the sums spent on buying players and coaching staff.

In 2019, Uefa started looking into alleged violations of financial regulations by the club, including questions over whether sponsorship fees were properly declared.

The club always denied any wrongdoing but was initially banned for two seasons and issued with a £26.8million fine. After appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), the ban was overturned and the fine was reduced to £8.9million.

Owning Manchester City has also handed the UAE a useful calling card to curry favour with politicians. In 2019, it gave Michael Gove £1,440 of tickets and hospitality from Manchester City.

Cultural institutions

In 2009, the British Museum struck a deal to loan objects to Abu Dhabi’s yet-to-be-completed Zayed Museum and to help it curate exhibitions. In 2018, the Museum renewed the deal, at the same time as it renamed one of its galleries after the late founder and former president of the UAE.

The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has played at Abu Dhabi’s national day and in 2022, the London Symphony Orchestra premiered a symphony which celebrated the culture and values of the UAE. The Gulf state has also wooed Stephen Sackur, who fronts Hardtalk on BBC World News and is one of its bestknown faces outside Britain.

He regularly fronts conferences in the UAE and was paid up to £10,000 as a host at the Future Hospitality Summit in Abu Dhabi last September. While the BBC said “every event is approved in line with our editorial guidelines”, there are questions about whether the appearance may have compromised the broadcaster’s impartiality.

The Duke of York

The Duke of York has a close relationship with the UAE, and concerns were raised over a potential conflict of interest after reports emerged about the hospitality he accepted from the state whilst he was the UK’S trade envoy. In 2010, it emerged that the UAE royal family had given the Duke the use of a “gilded mini-palace” in their compound for use when he visited –whether on private or official business. A friend close to the Duke denied there was a conflict and said it “sounds like part of his old job promoting UK interests around the world, which he did very effectively”.

Land deals

In Manchester, an Abu Dhabi firm has been allowed to buy a 999-year leasehold for brownfield sites that were previously publicly owned.

Most of the homes built there are rented out in a joint venture between the council and the Abu Dhabi firm, but the council reportedly receives only a small fraction of the income.

Manchester council has robustly defended the 2014 transaction, but researchers at the University of Sheffield’s Urban Institute say it “sold the family silver too cheap”.

‘The council defends its land deal but researchers say it sold the family silver too cheap’