UAE’s Lobbying & Influence Network in the EU
Dark Box’s extensive investigation on foreign interference by the United Arab Emirates in the democratic processes of the European Union, exposes the UAE’s far-reaching efforts to shape EU policy and narratives in its favor.
Key Findings
🔴 Targeted Lobbying Campaigns:
The UAE Embassy in Brussels and the EU-UAE Parliamentary Friendship Group deploy direct lobbying strategies to dilute human rights resolutions and resist EU measures critical of Abu Dhabi’s repression.
Interviews with EU insiders confirm that Emirati diplomats exert relentless pressure during committee discussions and plenary sessions to neutralize references to political prisoners and war crimes in Yemen and Libya.
🔴 Consultancies & PR Firms:
Major Brussels-based consultancies run image-management operations funded by Abu Dhabi. They coordinate media narratives that present the UAE as a progressive “partner” while suppressing coverage of its domestic repression, espionage scandals, and links to regional conflicts.
These firms exploit gaps in the EU’s Transparency Register, allowing UAE funding to bypass full disclosure requirements.
🔴 Think Tanks & Policy Platforms:
Brussels hosts a web of UAE-linked think tanks and policy centers posing as neutral academic hubs.
Many were founded by Emirati citizens or are directly financed by Abu Dhabi, amplifying pro-UAE narratives on regional security, energy policy, and counterterrorism while systematically marginalizing dissenting perspectives.
🔴 Human Rights Whitewashing:
Media campaigns funded by Ali Hamad al-Shamsi, the UAE Minister linked to internal repression, aim to portray the UAE as a rights-respecting state, masking ongoing crackdowns, enforced disappearances, and torture allegations documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
🔴 Revolving Door Influence:
Former EU officials, including Baroness Ashton (ex-EU foreign policy chief) and Bernardino León (former EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean), now hold senior roles in UAE-linked think tanks and institutions—providing insider access to Brussels decision-making.
Implications for EU Democracy
The UAE’s influence machinery represents a systematic foreign interference campaign undermining EU policy independence and democratic standards. Human rights principles—the DNA of EU governance—are being eroded as foreign-sponsored echo chambers infiltrate decision-making spaces.
Recommendations from the investigation
- Mandatory Disclosure: Close loopholes in the EU Transparency Register and enforce real-time disclosure of foreign lobbying activities.
- Training & Oversight: Implement robust foreign interference detection programs across EU institutions.
- Cooling-off Periods: Enforce strict bans preventing ex-officials from immediately joining foreign-linked entities.
Independent Scrutiny: Establish an EU watchdog to monitor foreign lobbying and influence networks.
