Overview

• On August 3, 2025, Juan Carlos I completed five years of self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi without any plan to return to resident life in Spain.
• Spanish courts closed investigations into his alleged commissions, opaque accounts and undeclared assets due to lack of evidence, statute of limitations and his royal immunity.
• In June 2022 he formalised fiscal residency in the UAE and founded the Sumer Foundation on Al Maryah Island to oversee his patrimony and promote his legacy.
• Protected by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahayan, he has taken short trips across Europe and is preparing to defend a sailing title in New York this September.
• He is due to publish his authorised memoir this autumn to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his 1975 accession and reshape public perceptions of his reign.