Newcastle United have teamed up with Saudi Arabia’s national carrier SAUDIA ahead of next month’s mid-season trip to Riyadh. As part of their week-long training camp, the Magpies will face Saudi Arabian Pro League champions Al-Hilal on December 8. Eddie Howe, his staff and players, excluding those involved in the Qatar World Cup, will fly to the Middle East on a SAUDI chartered flight after the Saudi national carrier was confirmed as the club’s Official Airline Partner. SAUDI, whose slogan is ‘Saudi Business Links – Your Gateway to Arabia’, were the hero sponsors for Saturday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea at St James’ Park – and the relationship will continue for the trip in Riyadh. “While Newcastle United are on an exciting and ambitious journey to expand our global reach and fan base, we are also very focused on growing our fan base in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East,” said the Commercial Director of the Peter club. Silverstone. “Our ambition is to become the most supported English Premier League football club in Saudi Arabia. a country whose population includes a large, young, passionate and highly committed football community. “We are delighted to partner with SAUDIA as our official tour airline partner and look forward to working with them during our trip to Riyadh and for the remainder of the 2022/23 English Premier League season.”
What was missing?
The photo attached to the press release shows Silverstone and chief executive Darren Eales holding up the Newcastle home shirt with the lettering ‘SAUDIA 22-23’, while the two representatives from SAUDIA held up United’s green and white top . Indeed, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that Newcastle’s main shirt sponsor Fun 88 was a no-show. The Magpies’ sponsorship deal with the bookmaker ends in the summer and fans are already speculating about who will take their place. As for SAUDI, however, it is understood that the absence of the Fun 88 logo is due to gambling advertising laws in Saudi Arabia. There are no state-licensed casinos, bookmakers or poker rooms in the Saudi Kingdom, with all forms of gambling illegal. The partnership between SAUDI and Newcastle will no doubt be big news across the country. Interest continues to grow with 80% of the Magpies owned by the Public Investment Fund. Khaled Tash, Chief Marketing Group SAUDIA Group, added: “We are committed to bringing the world to Saudi Arabia and this includes partnering with global sporting giants to further develop our landscape. “We hope to create a cultural bridge between Saudi Arabia and the world as we believe our culture has the potential to transcend borders, inspiring and connecting with visitors from around the world in new and meaningful ways.”
