According to an investigation by Middle East Eye, three members of the UK House of Lords hold paid roles at FGS Global, a multinational consultancy that has lobbied senior British officials on behalf of the Emirati government since October. Among them is former Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire, who previously made public statements railing against the “egregious acts of paid lobbying.”

In 2024, FGS donated more than $34,500 to the Labour Party. Part of this funding covered the secondment of FGS employee Kamella Hudson, who served as an election campaign adviser to Rachel Reeves before her appointment as chancellor of the Exchequer.

While FGS Global stated that no peers work directly on the UAE account, human rights and transparency campaigners warn that such arrangements allow foreign states to purchase access and influence within British democracy.

The revelations come amid intensifying scrutiny over the UAE’s covert role in Sudan, where UN investigators accuse Abu Dhabi of funneling weapons to the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. Despite a UN arms embargo and evidence of mass atrocities in Sudan, the UK government has continued licensing military exports to the UAE, while FGS Global has simultaneously ramped up its lobbying blitz to manage the Gulf state’s bilateral relations in both London and Washington.