UAE Royal Family Secures €71 million in EU Farm Subsidies While Small Farmers Get Pennies

*TL;DR Al Nahyan‑linked companies have received more than €71 million in EU farm subsidies over six years, while the average EU farmer receives less than €7,000 per year.*

Context The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) allocates roughly €54 billion annually to support farmers and rural development. Critics argue the scheme favours large landowners and foreign investors, diverting funds from the smallholders it was meant to help.

Key Facts - Subsidiaries of the Al Nahyan family, the world’s second‑richest royal dynasty, were paid €71 million in CAP subsidies between 2019 and 2024 for land in Romania, Italy and Spain. - The Romanian agribusiness Agricost, owned by the Al Nahyan network, received €10.5 million in 2024 alone—over 1,600 times the average EU farm’s payment. - Agricost operates the EU’s single largest farm, 57,000 ha (about five times the size of Paris). - The subsidies fund crops such as alfalfa that are exported to the Gulf, supporting the UAE’s food‑security strategy that relies on imports for up to 90 % of its food. - Faustine Bas‑Defossez of the European Environment Bureau warned that CAP “enriches the wealthiest landowners” and now “fuels autocratic regimes.”

What It Means The flow of public money to a royal family linked to an autocratic state highlights a structural flaw in the CAP: payments are tied to land size rather than need. The European Commission has proposed capping land‑based payments at €100,000 per farmer for the 2028‑2034 cycle, a move aimed at curbing outsized payouts. If adopted, the cap could prevent future transfers of billions to entities like Agricost, redirecting funds toward the average EU farmer.

Looking Ahead Watch the EU Parliament’s vote on the CAP reform and any legal challenges that may arise from large landowners seeking to protect their subsidies.