Human rights groups call on UCI to suspend UAE Team Emirates-XRG licence

In a letter sent to UCI president David Lappartient sent on June 25 ahead of the Tour de France, non-governmental organisations FairSquare, Sudan Unlimited, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy urged cycling’s governing body to suspend the team’s licence with immediate effect and launch a review of its licensing policy for state-backed teams.

The organisations argue that UAE Team Emirates-XRG is financially and operationally linked to the UAE state through its principal sponsors, Emirates airline and XRG, the investment arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, as well as state-linked sponsors First Abu Dhabi Bank and E&. The letter states that the team "has the aim of representing an entire nation, the UAE" and describes it as "a symbol of sporting success for the UAE."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG currently lead the UCI team rankings, with the squad spearheaded by world champion Tadej Pogačar, who will be aiming to win a record-equalling fifth Tour de France when the race begins in Barcelona on July 4 with a team time trial.

According to the organisations, the team’s success has provided a platform for the UAE to raise its international profile while the country faces allegations of supporting the RSF in Sudan. 

The letter claims there is "irrefutable evidence" that the UAE is the RSF’s primary financial backer and arms supplier, citing reports by United Nations experts, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the US intelligence community and international media organisations. 

The UAE has repeatedly denied providing military support to the RSF.

The letter states that "cycling’s most prominent and celebrated races have become a very public platform that the UAE state is using to project a positive image of the UAE", and argues that the UCI has responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to consider whether its competitions may contribute to reputational benefits for states accused of serious human rights abuses.

The organisations also called on the UCI to review its licensing process for state-backed teams more broadly. The letter references Bahrain Victorious, arguing that cycling’s governing body should reassess how it evaluates ownership and sponsorship structures linked to governments facing persistent human rights concerns.

FairSquare Director Nick McGeehan also stated that "cycling's sponsor-driven business model makes it easy prey for authoritarians looking for cheap and effective public relations. The UCI's failure to foresee this very obvious risk means that its most celebrated race now serves as a branding opportunity for a state linked to genocide."

Neither the UCI nor UAE Team Emirates-XRG issued an immediate public statement following the release of the joint letter.