Qatar Duty Free title sponsor of international Powerboat Championship race

The announcement, made at the Qatar Marines Sports Federation (QMSF) office in Doha, ensures Qatar Duty Free is put on the world stage when the city hosts the prestigious race, which is guaranteed to generate global media coverage.

Qatar Duty Free assistant general manager Krishna Kumari officially signed the sponsorship document in the presence of QMSF president Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor al Thani.

The Qatar Duty Free Grand Prix (UIM World Class 1 Powerboat Championships) in Doha will be held over the weekend of 18-20 November 2004 on the Corniche.

Some of the world's leading powerboat racers will converge on the city, capital of the State of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf, for three days of exciting racing that promises to thrill thousands of spectators.

Qatar Duty Free assistant general manager Krishna Kumari said, "We are extremely pleased to be associated with powerboat racing, a sport that enjoys a huge following in the Middle East and around the world.

"This is a significant development for Qatar Duty Free in just a short few years since we were formed. This is our first sports sponsorship and the first of many planned over the next 12 months not just in the Gulf but around the world."

As title sponsor, Qatar Duty Free will be emblazoned on the shirts of competitors and have a large brand presence at the event over the three days.

Qatar Duty Free has enjoyed 62 per cent growth in turnover so far this year over the 2003 levels and has ramped up its presence in the departures and arrivals area at Doha International Airport.

More than $1m is being invested in three phases, by Qatar Duty Free in refurbishing the existing shopping facilities in the departures area, with completion scheduled for the end of November.

The new-look Qatar Duty Free sells a huge range of items, offering passengers a wider choice of products at the best prices and a thoroughly enjoyable shopping experience.

Qatar Duty Free stocks more than 22,000 product lines ranging from perfumes, cosmetics, beverages and food to toys, jewellery and watches featuring leading international brand names such as Bulgari, Rolex and Chopard.

For the first time, the company is stocking a men's clothing range courtesy of Hugo Boss to create a dedicated fashion area.

Last year the airport saw the second phase of its expansion project take off with a refurbished arrivals area. Improvements at the airport are aimed at increasing passenger capacity from 3.5m to 6m passengers a year.

Work has already begun on the new $5.5bn Doha International Airport, a state-of-the-art facility that will be built on reclaimed land and opened in phases beginning in 2008. Initial capacity will be 12 million; increasing four-fold to around 50 million by the time the airport is fully operational in 2015.

The new airport will have a larger duty free shopping area that will compete at the highest level with many of its rivals around the world.

Qatar Duty Free is a subsidiary company of Qatar Airways — one of the fastest growing airlines in the world operating a fleet of 36 all-Airbus aircraft to 53 destinations worldwide - set to grow to 56 cities over the next three months.

The Qatar Airways group of companies includes Qatar Duty Free, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Aviation Catering Company, Qatar Airways Holidays, United Media International, Qatar Distribution Company and Doha International Airport.