Agreement includes naming rights to the national training centre and backing for athlete development programmes abroad.
DUBAI — Etihad Airways has partnered with the UAE Wrestling Federation under a multi-tier sponsorship agreement that establishes the Abu Dhabi-based carrier as the governing body’s official airline and primary commercial ally.
The memorandum of understanding, formalised at the Dubai World Trade Centre during the Arabian Travel Market, outlines targeted financial, travel, and promotional backing for Emirati wrestlers competing in regional and global tournaments. Under the terms, Etihad also secures exclusive naming rights to the federation’s flagship training headquarters.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Saeed bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Secretary-General of the UAE Wrestling Federation, signed the pact alongside Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer.
The arrangement focuses directly on athlete logistics, national talent pipelines, and cross-channel promotion. By aligning flight networks with international competition schedules, the federation aims to ease travel demands for national squads while boosting digital outreach to expand the discipline’s domestic audience.
“With Etihad, we look forward to expanding areas of cooperation and creating new opportunities that support our athletes and national teams, as well as their participation in various championships and events,” Sheikh Hamdan said during the signing ceremony.
The carrier will incorporate national wrestling campaigns into its international brand storytelling. Airline executives framed the investment as part of a wider state-level effort to elevate homegrown sports talent onto world championship and Olympic platforms.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting the UAE’s sporting ambitions and the athletes who represent our nation on the international stage,” De said. “We look forward to sharing their stories with audiences around the world.”
The contract aligns with a broader domestic sports sponsorship strategy pursued by UAE flag carriers. Both Etihad and Dubai-based Emirates have systematically backed federations across martial arts, cycling, and football, treating local athletics infrastructure as a long-term lever to project national soft power and build sports-tourism traffic.
