Key facts
- Members of the UK's House of Lords are employed by FGS Global, a consultancy lobbying for the UAE.
- The UAE is accused of backing the RSF paramilitary group, which has committed human rights abuses in Sudan.
- FGS Global has contacted UK officials, staff, and civil servants to promote the UAE-UK bilateral relationship.
- Transparency and human rights groups have expressed concern over parliamentarians working for firms lobbying foreign governments.
- FGS Global has also registered as a lobbyist for the UAE in the United States.
Members of the UK's House of Lords are employed by FGS Global, a multinational consultancy that has been hired to lobby senior UK officials on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE faces widespread accusations of backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, which has been implicated in mass killings and human rights abuses during Sudan's civil war.
Among the peers working for FGS Global are Thangam Debbonaire, a Labour peer and former MP; Ruth Porter, a Conservative peer and former deputy chief of staff to Liz Truss; and Andrew Cooper, a non-affiliated peer and former advisor to David Cameron. FGS Global has been lobbying UK officials since October, aiming to promote awareness of the UAE-UK bilateral relationship, and has also provided media advice and content creation assistance to the UAE embassy.
Human rights organisations and UN investigators have accused the UAE of supplying weapons and support to the RSF, which has been involved in a three-year civil war that has displaced millions and caused widespread death. The UAE denies these allegations. Transparency and human rights campaigners have raised concerns about parliamentarians holding paid roles at firms lobbying for foreign governments, questioning whose interests are being represented.
FGS Global has also registered as a lobbyist for the UAE in the United States, with the aim of influencing US policy on trade, investment, and geopolitical issues. The firm's other UK clients include the US tech multinational Oracle. FGS Global has also made significant political donations in the UK, including over £27,000 to the Labour Party in 2024.