Emirates just signed a 3-year $6.8 million deal to sponsor the Arabian Gulf League, adding to its growing list of athletic sponsorships.
"Sponsorship has always been a vital component of our marketing strategy. Through our sponsorship and support of an incredible line-up of global football clubs and popular football events we have been able to bring major clubs to the UAE to compete in unique tournaments, connecting them to their fans," Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates said, according to a press release.
"With our new partnership with the Arabian Gulf League, we will be in an even stronger position to add value to the UAE’s professional league by capitalising on opportunities that will link local clubs with international football teams through focused collaboration.”
The sponsorship will place Emirates branding on advertising for the Arabian Gulf Super Cup, 182 Arabian Gulf League matches, 45 Arabian Gulf Cup matches and 26 televised U21 League matches.
Emirates already sponsors more than 40 athletic teams and events from around the world including AC Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Hamburg, Benfica and the New York Cosmos. Emirates also serves as the official airline of Olympiacos and as the official airline and partner of the Asian Football Confederation. It additionally holds sponsorship rights to all AFC tournaments.
“We see our partnership with the Arabian Gulf League as an opportunity to connect with football fans in our home, the UAE. This new association will allow us to play an even bigger role here locally by bringing fans of football closer to what they love and to build unique opportunities and experiences with a rich mix of local clubs. We also want to align our brand with the league to strengthen its position as one of the fastest growing leagues in Asia, and to support its vision to provide UAE football a platform to thrive at the international level," Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Majid Al Mualla said during a press conference.