Emirates reaffirms support for Asian football

The new partnership was officially announced at a news conference in Seoul today, coinciding with the start of Emirates' new non-stop service between Dubai and Seoul on 1 May, 2005.

The airline, acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing in the world, will become Official Sponsor of the AFC and the Official Airline of Asia's most prestigious football events, encompassing club and national team events. These include the AFC Asian Cup 2007, the AFC Champions League, the FIFA World Cup 2006 - Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Football Qualifiers for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The agreement, brokered by World Sport Group, the exclusive sponsorship and broadcasting partner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), will run from now until the end of 2008.

This represents a significant enhancement of Emirates' commitment to Asian football, which started in 1996 when the airline was the Official Airline of the AFC Asian Cup 1996, the continent's premier national team competition. In 2001, Emirates signed a four-year deal to become Official Supporter of Asian football.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates' Executive Vice President - Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: "We are proud to extend our involvement with Asian football by signing on as Official Sponsor and Official Airline of the AFC.

"Asian football has taken great strides forward in terms of quality and reach, and this drive for success parallels the ambitions and achievements of Emirates. We strive for quality service and success in everything we do and these values are the essence of why we have decided to continue our association with Asian club and national team football."

"We believe sponsorship is one of the best ways of getting closer to our customers. It allows us to share and support their interests and to build a personal relationship with them. There is no greater vehicle for this in Asia than through football, with the region's enormous fan base and passion for the game."

Mohamed bin Hamamm, President of the AFC, welcomed the partnership, saying: "Emirates is an outstanding airline and an established global brand, with a proven track record in football and sport sponsorship. This long-term association is an excellent opportunity for the AFC to further develop our commercial programme with a professional and globally-renowned company.

"The extension of our partnership will help Asian football reach new markets and build on the already high interest that Asian football is enjoying around the world. This is thanks in no small part to the airline's global route network. We are grateful to Emirates for their continued faith in Asian football and look forward to developing a more active partnership over the next four-year period."

Welcoming Emirates' decision to renew its commitment to Asian football, World Sport Group Senior Vice President Nick Mould said: "We are delighted Emirates has decided to continue and indeed enhance its support of and involvement in Asian football. We believe Emirates will help build Asian club and national team competitions while at the same time serving Emirates' broader sponsorship and marketing objectives."