HSBC agrees five-year partnership with Dubai International and Sharjah International Airport
HSBC brand will greet over 60 million travellers annually
HSBC Middle East has signed a five-year partnership for the advertising rights to airbridges at Dubai International and Sharjah International Airports. The airbridge campaign is the biggest ever in the Middle East, and HSBC's largest single media investment in the region.
HSBC brand advertisements will be exclusively placed on every access between the planes and the terminal buildings at Dubai and Sharjah airports, internal and external panels on approximately 60 airbridges and the exterior of around 100 shuttle buses. All these are going to reach up to 60 million* regional and international passengers that pass through these airports each year. Brand advertisements will also be seen inside the airport buildings, including the VIP Terminals in Dubai International.
Simon Cooper, CEO of HSBC MENA said: "HSBC continues to grow its business in the UAE and continues to invest in this growth market. Our investment on this scale is another clear indicator of our confidence in the UAE and the potential for economic growth. HSBC has maintained an unbroken presence in the Middle East for over a century, and its commitment to the region is for the long-term.
"Our medium and long-term outlook remains positive for Dubai, for the UAE, and for the Middle East. The region will continue to be an important market at the heart of international trade and investment flows. Our strategic investments in the region will ensure that HSBC is the bank best-placed to take advantage of these opportunities.
"Dubai International is the world's fourth busiest airport for international passenger traffic, making it the ideal location for our very successful airport branding campaign.
"Airbridge advertising is representative of our ability to offer customers both international reach and local knowledge and with our global banking offerings to both personal and corporate customers; we can offer them a seamless international banking experience wherever they are in the world."
Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive, Dubai International, said: "Double-digit passenger growth has become the norm at Dubai International and we are expanding annual passenger capacity to 90 million in the next few years to keep pace. Dubai International is truly a world-class airport and as trade, financial services and tourism spur the Dubai economy, this partnership will enable HSBC to deliver a high level brand message to our shared customers: the international travelers."
Dr. Ghanem Al Hajri, Director General of Sharjah Airport Authority, said: "Sharjah International Airport is a dynamic regional airport and has seen encouraging passenger growth. More than the base of the leading budget carrier, the Airport also boasts a diversified passenger profile thanks to the booming tourism of the emirate and its proximity to other popular destinations in the region. We are pleased to have HSBC on board and we believe this airport branding will give HSBC an extended reach to their clientele."
HSBC pioneered the airbridge advertising concept and launched at London's Heathrow Airport in 2001. Since that time it has expanded to 48 airports in 24 countries around the world. HSBC branding can now be seen at airports in such diverse locations as: Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, New York, London, Paris, Athens and Tokyo.
Throughout this course of airport branding round the globe, JCDecaux, the world's number 1 airport advertising concessionaire, has been a close partner with HSBC. This contract marks the extension of this partnership to the region and strengthens the collaboration between the two.
Fast Facts
No of bridges - Dubai & Sharjah - 59
No of buses - Dubai & Sharjah - 94
No of man hours to put up the branding material - over 11,000
*No of passengers expected through Dubai International Airport in 2011 - 52 million
*No of passengers expected through Sharjah International Airport in 2011 - 8.2 million
(2009 nos. for reference: Dubai - 40.9 million; Sharjah - 5.8 million)
Total sq footage of the branding - 20,990 m2; equivalent to 80 standard tennis courts
HSBC Branding can be seen in 48 airports in 24 countries
HSBC airbridge advertising first launched in Heathrow, London in 2001
-Ends-
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HSBC)
HSBC is the largest and most widely represented international bank in the Middle East. HSBC Bank Middle East Limited has 53 branches throughout the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Algeria and the Palestinian Autonomous Area. In addition to the branch network the Bank maintains representative offices in Tehran, Iran and Tripoli, Libya. This extensive regional coverage is strengthened by another member of the HSBC Group, HSBC Bank Egypt SAE; and by its associated companies; HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited; SABB Securities Limited; SABB Takaful Co.; and Dar Es Saalam Investment Bank.
Dubai Airports Company
Dubai Airports owns and manages the operation and development of both of Dubai's airports - Dubai International as well as the upcoming Dubai World Central -- Al Maktoum International.
According to ACI's latest figures, Dubai International is the 4th busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger traffic and 6th busiest for International cargo, offering connections to over 220 destinations across six continents on more than 130 airlines.
In the first half of 2010, Emirates Airline launched new services to as many as seven destinations spread across Europe, Africa and the Far East - a total of 36 weekly flights. These include five weekly flights to Tokyo, three weekly to Jakarta, and one daily to Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid, and Abidjan. Emirates will launch five weekly flights to Dakar from September 1, 2010.
flydubai also continues to expand within the Middle East and beyond. After launching twice daily flights to Muscat and Kuwait City, the carrier started three weekly flights to Assiut and Luxor, followed by five weekly to Kabul. Recently flydubai launched five weekly flights to Istanbul Gocken and four weekly to Latakia, adding a total of 48 weekly flights in the first half of 2010.
New services launched by other carriers this year include Kingfisher Airlines' daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai; Garuda Indonesia's daily Amsterdam-Dubai-Jakarta; JAT Airways' once weekly to Belgrade; China Eastern's thrice weekly to Kunming (via Dhaka); and Gryphon Airlines' thrice weekly to Kandahar.
JCDecaux Middle East
JCDecaux Middle East is the regional branch of the world's second largest outdoor media owner JCDecaux, handling the advertising at prime locations in the UAE, Qatar and Algeria. JCDecaux Middle East is a key player in the outdoor advertising industry in the region with operation in the United Arab Emirates with the exclusivity of advertising at Dubai International Airport and Sharjah International Airport. It is the market leader in Qatar managing the entire outdoor advertising network plus the transit media in Doha, as well as the advertising in Villaggio mall through q.media Decaux. In addition, the Company is present in Algeria as the exclusive advertising concessionaire for Algiers International Airport and 18 other airports, and the Tahkout buses fleet.
Media enquiries to Ahmad Othman, Manager, Regional Corporate Communications, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited on 04 4235628 or at ahmadothman@hsbc.com
© Press Release 2010
