FA president rallies for UAE companies support

Mohammed Khalfan al Rumaithi urges more involvement from local businesses to support the UAE national teams.

ABU DHABI // Mohammed Khalfan al Rumaithi, the president of the UAE Football Association, has urged more local businesses to join in supporting the national team after it was unveiled that Borouge, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Austrian based Borealis, became an official marketing partner of the UAE FA. Al Rumaithi stressed that partnerships are crucial for the UAE FA who are preparing the national sides for the 2011 Asian Cup, the Fifa Under 20 and 17 World Cups and the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. "The national team is preparing for important events and we need more local companies to rally around them in support," said al Rumaithi. "We are pleased to have a prominent company as Borouge join in support." Borouge signed a three-year deal to work together on a comprehensive partnership to garner more sponsorship for the national team and increasing the popularity of the domestic game. Rashid Saud al Shamsi, chairman of Borouge's marketing arm, is of the belief the partnership will benefit the national team's aspirations in their endeavours. "As one of the leading business conglomerate we are proud of this partnership and to fulfill the national team's ambitious programmes." The chief executive Abdul Aziz al Hajiri added: "The game of football is now more than entertainment. It is an industry and we need to bring in more funding for it to be successful. "We will work with the UAE FA to achieve those goals." [e-mail]