Arabian Sponsorship Awards
December 16, 2009
Etihad, Commercial bank of Qatar, Emirates NBD, Mubadala & Zain win inaugural Arabian Sponsorship Awards
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Wins Prestigious Award For Services to the Arabian Sponsorship Industry in 2009
Colm Mcloughlin from Dubai Duty Free wins Lifetime Achievement Award
The Arabian Sponsorship Award winners 2009 were announced last night at the Awards Gala dinner, Emirates Palace. The Awards were designed to celebrate the role of sponsorship in sport, the arts and entertainment in the Arabian Gulf. Entries were invited from sponsors, rights holders and agencies from across the Gulf region. Winners on the night featured some of the region’s brands including; Commercial bank of Qatar & Qatar Golf Association, Emirates NBD, Etihad, Mubadala and Zain:
Business to Business winner: Commercial bank of Qatar & Qatar Golf Association: Qatar Masters by Dolphin Energy.
Business to Community winner: Mubadala’s sponsorship of Scuderia Ferrari.
Business to Consumer Winner: Zain Saudi League.
Activation Under $250 Winner: Emirates NBD and the Greenland Quest.
International Sponsorship Award Winner: Etihad: F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
As part of the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Arabian Sponsorship Forum has committed to helping future business and marketing undergraduates in the UAE and across Arabia understand the role and benefits of sponsorship as an industry. All the entries to the Awards are now available to university professors to use as case studies. All the entries were initially analysed by Business & Marketing professors from Abu Dhabi University, Higher College of Technology, Sharjah University and Zayed University. The Awards were then judged by independent judges who were all key-note speakers or panelists at the Arabian Sponsorship Forum.
Two Honorary Awards were also announced. “The Sponsorship Personality of 2009 for Services to the Arabian Sponsorship Industry in 2009 ” was presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council to HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan. His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak received the award on behalf of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan. The award was given in recognition of the impact his Highness has had on the sponsorship industry in the Arabian Gulf, through his ownership of Manchester City and his ongoing commitment to Al Jazira Sports Club.
The “Lifetime Services to the Arabian Sponsorship Industry Award” was presented to Colm Mcloughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free for managing the company’s pioneering sponsorship in this region. Under Colm’s guidance Dubai Duty Free has utilized sporting events as a means of reaching its target audience and building its business. Dubai Duty Free has since 1983 build a wide-ranging sponsorship portfolio which started in snooker and power-boating but today includes a wide portfolio including the Arts, Golf, Horse-racing and Tennis. ENDS
AWARDS DETAIL:
Business to Business Category presented by Emirates Palace
Highly commended: Mubadala’s sponsorship of Scuderia Ferrari.
Winner: Commercial bank of Qatar & Qatar Golf Association: Qatar Masters by Dolphin Energy.
With $2.5million in prize money, this is one of the leading tournaments on the European Tour. CommercialBank in partnership with the Qatar Golf Association have created the leading B2B event in the region which is a must-attend event for executives involved in the country’s two biggest commercial sectors, namely Oil & Gas and Investments. With partners including Qatar Gas, RasGas and presenting partners Dolphin Energy, alongside such international brands as Diners Club, Rolex and Xerox, the event is the must-attend corporate event in Qatar. The sponsorship execution included pro-am games, merchandising and golf clinics for junior golfers. Chris Myers the Tournament Director thanked Dolphin Energy for their role in the success of the event and winning the Award,
Business to Community Category presented by African & Eastern
Highly commended in this category is the Dubai World Championship Race to Dubai.
Winner: Mubadala’s sponsorship of Scuderia Ferrari.
Mubadala developed and executed a community campaign to raise awareness of what Mubadala business model and their role in the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy. The campaign was executed through the use of the ‘Ferrari story’ and the development of a sense of pride around the partnership including the “Wear the Cap” campaign. The award was collected by Sandra El Rousan of Mubadala.
Business to Consumer Category presented by Sports Pro Media
Highly commended: du Majlis.
Winner: Zain Saudi League.
As the latest mobile telecoms company to enter the Saudi market, Zain’s priority was to increase brand awareness and subscribers. Zain set out to create a brand-new sports sponsorship model which would highlight the uniqueness of the
brand and reach across the region. The partnership was formed and activation included creation of products and services directly related to the Zain Saudi League Sponsorship such as tariff plans and SMS services. Ahmed Mohtaseb CEO of Sela Sport- representing the Saudi Football League - collected the award. Also present at the Awards were Abdullah Mohtaseb from Sela Sports and Mohammed Al Nowaisser , CEO of Saudi Professional League Committee.
On behalf of the Zain Saudi League team Ahmed Mohtaseb said “We are very pleased to receive this award and believe the contribution of the Saudi Professional League Committee under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Al Saudi, Zain telecommunication company, league teams, and sports fans have created this synergy and unleashed an unparalleled sponsorship opportunity in the Arabian sports world”
Activation under $250K presented by Mac Davidson
Highly commended Etihad Junior Rugby Festival.
Winner: Emirates NBD and the Greenland Quest.
In 2009 Emirates NBD supported the UAE based explorer Adrian Hayes in his Arctic Expedition 2009, the longest unassisted Arctic expedition in history. The Quest linked two of the bank’s core CSR pillars – education and the environment. The project provided environmental awareness and educational projects for students and schools across the UAE and was also promoted in the National, who managed the official website. Emirates NBD provided cash prizes to school to be spent on green projects in 2009. A comprehensive activation plan was developed and executed and the campaign generated over USD 1 million dollars in media returns. Peter Loakman, Head of Group Sponsorship and Events, Emirate NBD collected the award with Adrian Hayes.
International Sponsorship Award presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council:
Winner: Etihad: F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Etihad’s sponsorship of the inaugural F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix showcased both Etihad and Abu Dhabi to a global audience of over 600 million people. The sponsorship provided priceless and unprecedented presence, visibility and credibility for Abu Dhabi’s young airline brand. Etihad promoted the event with sponsorship activation including marketing in 55 Etihad destinations worldwide, an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix livery A320 plus the use the Etihad Ferrari sponsorship – including driver appearances by Massa and Raikonen – to promote the event. Etihad also worked alongside Formula 1’s All Sport agency, the Abu Dhabi government and Yas Marina Circuit operators, Abu Dhabi Motor Sports Management to deliver the event and bring thousands of support staff, teams, officials and fans to Abu Dhabi. Sales-wise the sponsorship produced fantastic new B2B opportunities from customers who attended the event and the day after the 2009 Grand Prix was the busiest ever day on the Etihad website by 100%, bringing more new customers to the airline recently voted the World’s Best Airline at the World Travel Awards.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer collected the award with his team and commented: “Etihad’s sponsorship of the inaugural F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix showcased both Etihad and Abu Dhabi to a global audience of more than 600 million people. Recognized as one of the biggest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, the Abu Dhabi F1 weekend provided unprecedented presence, visibility and credibility for a new airline brand launched only six years ago.
Held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and through the platinum sponsorship of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and their Sports Care Program, the inaugural ‘Arabian Sponsorship Forum’ was organised by Professional Sports Group.
Professional Sports Group was founded in 1996 and has established itself as one of the leading sports marketing companies in Europe and the Middle East. With offices in the UK and the Abu Dhabi, PSG has four divisions; Marketing, Events, Sponsorship and Representation. Through each of these, Professional Sports Group is uniquely placed to deliver world-class service for brands, sports personalities and rights-holders.
For further details on Professional Sports Group please visit www.profsports.com or contact Mel Croser on +971 (0) 506950816
All media should email Emma Kettle on if they wish receive photographs of the awards.
