Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free are committed to supporting Qatar as a world sporting destination
Annual tournament brings world’s top male tennis players to Doha
DOHA, Qatar — Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) are pleased to sponsor the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2019 tournament on its 27th edition this year taking place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, from December 31, 2018 to January 5, 2019.
The Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2019 tournament, one of two ATP World Tour events held in the Middle East, hosts many of the world’s best tennis players including world number one Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic.
Qatar Airways Senior Vice-President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways is thrilled to bring the world’s top tennis players to Qatar to compete at the state-of-the-art Khalifa International Tennis & Squash complex. Being the Official Airline Sponsor of the world renowned Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2019 tournament is a major highlight on Qatar’s sporting calendar and marks a great beginning to the start of the new year.
“We continue to support the emergence of sports in Qatar and being the bridge to welcome world champions to our country. Our longstanding sponsorship of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open tournaments each year shows our commitment to the Qatar 2030 vision to become a global sports destination. We look forward to showcasing our world-class hospitality and wish all the players the best of luck.”
Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh, said: “Qatar Duty Free is once again proud to sponsor the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2019 tournament. Sport brings people together and we are delighted to be able to contribute to bringing this significant global sporting event to people around the world. We have participated in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open for more than 10 years and we are committed to supporting the Qatar 2030 vision. We look forward to hosting visitors in our booth at the public village for some entertainment before and after the matches, and to welcoming players and spectators alike through our home and hub Hamad International Airport. We wish them a successful tournament.”
Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free will mark their presence at the tournament by hosting special booths, offering visitors a taste of their award-winning services. The Qatar Airways booth will feature an interactive green screen where tennis fans can get their photos printed in virtual backgrounds such as upcoming destinations and on an aircraft. The QDF booth will feature a guessing game accompanied by a photo opportunity, visitors will have to guess the number of branded balls in an acrylic box and share it on social media for a chance to win prizes offered by Qatar Duty Free.
In May 2017, Qatar Airways announced a groundbreaking sponsorship deal with FIFA, which saw the award-winning airline become the Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA until 2022. The partnership, one of the biggest sporting sponsorships in the world, will give Qatar Airways extensive marketing and branding rights at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™. The agreement also sees Qatar Airways become the Official Airline Partner of the 2019 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, and the FIFA eWorld Cup.
The airline has an existing sponsorship strategy with premier sporting clubs around the world. Qatar Airways recently revealed multi-year sponsorship agreements with several sports entities, which includes being official airline sponsor of CONMEBOL professional football competitions across South America for the next 4.5 years including the Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores, Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana and the CONMEBOL Recopa.
In addition to the tennis, Qatar Duty Free has also sponsored the Commercial Bank Golf Masters since 2009 and, this year, extended its sponsorship of this sport to the annual TFWA conference in Cannes which welcomes more than 3,000 duty free and travel retail brands and 500 international exhibitors, reaching over 2,000 key executives from major landlords and duty free retailers.
Qatar Duty Free was awarded 'Airport Retailer of the Year' at the 2018 DFNI Global Awards. In April, the leading airport retailer was recognised at the PAX International Readership Award, when Qatar Airways won ‘Best In-Flight Duty-Free Program’ for the Middle East and Africa and was acknowledged as an industry leader for its outstanding in-flight duty-free service, which is operated by Qatar Duty Free.
The national carrier of the State of Qatar is one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, with a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft flying to over 160 business and leisure destinations across six continents.
A multiple-award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’
Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways:
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating more than 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft. The world’s fastest-growing airline added a number of exciting destinations to its growing network including Gothenburg, Sweden; Da Nang, Vietnam; and Mombasa, Kenya in 2018, and several new destinations are due to be launched in 2019, including Isfahan, Iran and Valletta, Malta.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways has been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, four times.
Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.
Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.
Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message - Going Places Together.
Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 160 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 200 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 15 Boeing 777 freighters and eight Airbus A330 freighters.
For further information, please contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 4022 2200