The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada (left), is seen with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (centre); after the Administration Manager of Qatar Petroleum, Ahmed Ali Al Mawlawi and President of West Asian World Sport Group, Pierre Kakhia (right), signed a three year agreement to become a Commercial Partner of the AFC at a function held at the Sharq Village and Spa in Doha yesterday. The President of Qatar Football Association, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani (centre) also present at the event.Picture by: Salim Matramkot
Doha: Qatar National Bank (QNB Group) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have signed a three-year sponsorship agreement that sees the Qatari financial institution become the latest AFC Commercial Partner.
The agreement between the two organisations was completed at the start of the 2014 season and will see QNB Group join the select band of companies sponsoring events such as the AFC Asian Cup, the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Qatar National Bank to the Asian football family,” said AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Alex Soosay.
“QNB Group join a long list of blue chip companies backing the AFC and our key events and, as our existing commercial partners will confirm, the association with Asian football continues to be a positive one.
“We are sure the relationship between the AFC and QNB Group will be mutually beneficial and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.” QNB Group was established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank and has an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority and the private sector.
QNB Group has steadily grown to be the largest bank in the Middle East and North Africa region and is the leading institution in the country, with a market share exceeding 45 percent of banking sector assets. commenting on the importance of the sponsorship agreement to QNB Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer said:
“With our growing International network presence, Asia continues to be both a very attractive and active market for us. Combined with our strong commitment to the sport of Football, the opportunity to become a strategic commercial partner with the AFC is both fitting and aligns well with our brand objectives.
The appeal of Football in Qatar is reflected in the commitment and pride resulting from securing The FIFA World Cup 2022 nomination.
As the largest bank in The MENA Region, we are therefore pleased to extend our involvement in the sport to Asia and participate in the exciting development plans outlined by the AFC”.
The Peninsula
