The United Arab Emirates are the second-largest contributor to Interpol's budget, which has led to allegations that the UAE bought the outcome of the election.[1][2] Al-Raisi's part-time role will be mostly ceremonial,[17][3][33] a fact Interpol emphasised repeatedly.[17][5] However, Al-Raisi seems keen to change Interpol's policies.[17] His campaign promise to increase the use of modern technology at Interpol was seen by some as a reference to the electronic surveillance tools used by authoritarian regimes.[17][33] Writing for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Ulrich Schmid [de] called Al-Raisi's election a reason for authoritarian countries to celebrate, as it would further erode the standing of human rights in international organisations.[33] The Guardian's Ruth Michaelson characterised the election as a "big soft-power win" for the UAE.[34]