Emirates back as official airline of S'pore Masters

ENGLISH Premier League football fans have become familiar with the Emirates airline in the last few months.

For the new, £390 million (S$1.15 billion) home of famous London club Arsenal is now known as the Emirates Stadium.

But the airline's involvement in sport is not limited just to football.

It is also a keen supporter of golf, sponsoring some eight tournaments worldwide.

This week sees its return as the official airline of the US$1.1 million (S$1.7 million) Clariden Leu Singapore Masters at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club.

Last year was the first time it was the official airline.

The seven other golf competitions it supports are the Dubai Desert Classic, the BMW Asian Open, BMW International Open, the Austrian Open, the New Zealand Open, the Hong Kong Open and the Malaysian Open.

Globally, Emirates spends more than US$80 million annually on sponsorship.

Last year, it was an official partner at football's World Cup Finals in Germany.

That was part of a US$195 million deal that will see the airline featuring at the 2010 and 2014 World Cup Finals as well.

It is also behind horse racing's Dubai World Cup, as well as cricket's ICC Super Series.

In tennis, it also sponsors the Dubai Open, which was won on Saturday by world No 1 Roger Federer, among others.

In Singapore, it has also sponsored the Singapore Golf Circuit back in 1994, horse racing (Emirates Singapore Derby), football (S-League club Home United) and even netball, as a minor sponsor.

This year marks the 20th year of Emirates' active involvement in sports sponsorship.

The airline's involvement in sports began just two years after it began operations in 1985.

The company views sports sponsorship as vital to its marketing strategy.

Said chairman Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al-Maktoum: 'We believe such sponsorships are one of the best ways to connect with our passengers.

'They allow us to share and support their interests and to build a closer relationship with them.'