Advocates urge NBA to end UAE partnership over Arab state’s role in genocidal war in Sudan

Human rights advocates have called on the US National Basketball Association (NBA) to end its partnership with the UAE, saying the league's relationship with Abu Dhabi helps shield the Persian Gulf state from mounting condemnation over its involvement in devastating war in Sudan.

During a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, advocates joined Democratic Congressman James Patrick McGovern in urging the NBA to reconsider its ties with the UAE.

The campaign comes as Sudan continues to face what humanitarian organizations describe as the world's largest ongoing displacement and humanitarian crisis.

Abu Dhabi has been providing financial, logistical and training support to the so-called Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militant group that has carried out widespread abuses against civilians throughout the conflict.

McGovern, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, said the NBA's partnership with the UAE raises serious ethical concerns.

He said that the league's commercial activities in the Persian Gulf state risk helping improve the image of a government facing mounting international backlash for contributing to atrocities in Sudan.

"Fans should know that the sport that they are enjoying is fueling crimes against humanity. They should know that the NBA is investing in the UAE, and the UAE is investing in atrocities in Sudan," McGovern said.

According to McGovern, a letter he sent to the NBA regarding the issue received only a standard response.

He said the league did not address concerns related to its corporate social responsibility commitments, but stated that it follows the guidance and directives of the US Department of State in every country where it operates.

"Our goal is for the NBA to get the UAE to divest from atrocities in Sudan; we know you can, and your reputation and your conscience will benefit from it," McGovern added.

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The NBA's relationship with the Persian Gulf state has expanded significantly in recent years.

The agreement with the UAE's tourism authorities includes preseason games in Abu Dhabi, appearances by NBA players, youth development programs and basketball clinics.

The partnership also designates Abu Dhabi as the league's official tourism destination across Europe, West Asia, North Africa and China.

In 2026, the partnership was further strengthened through the establishment of an NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi, deepening the league's presence in the UAE despite continuing criticism from rights advocates.

In February, a United Nations-mandated fact-finding mission concluded that RSF operations and those of allied militants in Sudan bore the “hallmarks of genocide.”

In March, a major study by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab in partnership with NASA’s Harvest program concluded that the RSF carried out a deliberate campaign of starvation against civilians in and around El Fasher.

The study documented the destruction of dozens of farming villages and severe disruption of agricultural production across the region.

Sudan’s war began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the internationally recognized government military, and the UAE-supported RSF.

The conflict has triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. International scrutiny has increasingly focused on the UAE, with researchers, monitoring bodies, and investigative reports documenting sustained support to the RSF despite extensive evidence linking the group to mass killings, ethnic violence, forced displacement, and widespread violations of international law.

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