Saudi Arabian state-owned oil and gas company Aramco has signed a four-year global partnership deal with FIFA.
Aramco becomes FIFA’s first “major worldwide partner exclusive in the energy category”. The partnership agreement see’s the Saudi company hold sponsorship rights to major football tournaments such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Innovation and development is at the heart of the partnership, with Aramco looking to leverage the global reach of football and FIFA leaning on Aramco’s influence in the burgeoning Saudi market to create social worldwide initiatives.
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Aramco to FIFA’s family of global partners.
“This partnership will assist FIFA to successfully deliver its flagship tournaments over the next four years and, as is the case with all our commercial agreements, enable us to provide enhanced support to our 211 FIFA member associations across the globe.
“Aramco has a strong track record of supporting world-class events, but also a focus on developing grassroots sport initiatives. We look forward to collaborating with them on a variety of initiatives over the coming years.”
Aramco also intends to work with FIFA to identify opportunities to deploy the company’s technologies in the delivery of football events globally. This includes initiatives that aim to provide new and innovative ways for football fans to engage with FIFA’s events.
Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President & CEO, added: “Through this partnership with FIFA we aim to contribute to football development and harness the power of sport to make an impact around the globe. It reflects our ambition to enable vibrant communities and extends our backing of sport as a platform for growth.
“Our existing relationship with the Saudi football team Al-Qadsiah, our support for women’s golf through the Aramco Team Series, and our backing of F1 in schools each demonstrate the possibilities of such partnerships to create pathways for opportunity, positively impact society and promote development at the grassroots level.”
FIFA’s ties to Saudi Arabia grow ever stronger through the Aramco agreement. According to the Associated Press, sponsorship from Saudi companies is expected to generate up to $11bn for FIFA’s commercial cycle between 2023-2026. The Middle Eastern country is also the frontrunner to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup after the other likely contender Australia backed out in October, leaving Saudi Arabia as the only bidder.
