Sobha Realty strikes sponsorship deal with Arsenal

Reuters

Dubai real estate developer Sobha Realty has secured the naming rights for the training ground of English Premier League football club Arsenal.

Arsenal’s facility in Hertfordshire will be known as the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

It is the first time the naming rights have been sold. The deal is part of Sobha’s plan to expand into the UK and US.

Sobha Realty will become a principal partner of the club and the official training kit sleeve partner for the men’s and women’s teams.

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Francis Alfred, managing director of Sobha Realty, said the deal supported “efforts to establish a stronger presence in international markets”.

It follows an agreement in September last year where Sobha Realty secured naming rights to The WM Club – a hospitality suite at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s main sponsor is Dubai-based Emirates Airline.

Last month, Qatar Airways launched a new premium members club at London’s O2 arena.

The club, called The NinetyThird, includes several bars, fine dining and a retractable walkway which extends out over the main arena space, with annual membership priced at $20,000.