Sunday, May 07, 2017

Doha: Qatar Airways was announced on Sunday as the official partner and airline of football’s world governing body Fifa until 2022.

Upcoming events sponsored by the airline will include the 2017 Confederations Cup, the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Club World Cup, Women’s World Cup and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

As an official partner, the airline will have marketing and branding rights at the next two World Cups, with an expected audience reach of more than two billion people per tournament. The airline will also have visibility at competitions such as the Under-20 World Cup, Futsal World Cup and the Interactive World Cup, the world’s largest online gaming tournament.

Sunday’s announcement builds on the airline’s existing sponsorship agreements with FC Barcelona and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli, as well as Formula E races in Paris and New York, and the UCI Road World Championship, most recently held in Doha, Qatar, alongside long-standing sponsorships of the Qatar Total and ExxonMobil Tennis Tournaments.

Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said in a press release: “Qatar Airways understands the power of sport in bringing people together in the spirit of friendly competition. Fifa, as the governing body of the world’s most popular sporting tournament, the World Cup, embodies the power of football’s popularity, and as such is a natural partner for Qatar Airways. We look forward to celebrating wins with the fans, being inspired by the artistry of the players, and to the excitement of each match over the next two competition cycles, until the 2022 Fifa World Cup, which will be proudly held in our home country, the State of Qatar.”

Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura said: “Fifa is delighted to partner with the world’s fastest-growing airline, Qatar Airways. Known for introducing industry firsts, Qatar Airways is an ideal partner for Fifa as we prepare for the first ever World Cup in the Gulf region, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. We look forward to working hand in hand with Qatar Airways to promote Fifa competitions and football around the world.”

Dubai-based Emirates airlines had pulled out of their sponsorship agreement with Fifa in 2014, citing concerns over corruption in the administration of the game.

Staff Report

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.