Dubai Duty Free Announce Barclays as Title Sponsor of the Dubai Tennis Championships

- Multi million dollar three-year deal confirmed for Middle East’s leading tennis event -

Dubai, UAE, September 10th, 2007: Dubai Duty Free, the owners and organizers of the Dubai Tennis Championships, has signed a US$ 9 million agreement with Barclays that will see Barclays become the title sponsor of the award-winning tournament for the next three years (2008 – 2010 inclusive).

The announcement marks Barclays first foray into professional tennis sponsorship globally and is seen as a major endorsement of the Dubai Duty Free-run tournament which began in 1993 and has grown into a fortnight of world-class tennis.

Commenting on the sponsorship agreement, HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Airports Company and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “This announcement underlines the tremendous growth and success of the Dubai Tennis Championships which is now amongst the top tennis events in the world. Dubai Duty Free does a great job in staging this event and it is a credit to them that the tournament has attracted sponsorship from an internationally renowned brand such as Barclays.”

The newly-named Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this year was named ‘Tournament of the Year’ by the ATP for the fourth consecutive time and has received 13 ATP/WTA awards. A firm favourite with the players, the event has seen superstars such as Ivan Lendl, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova and Venus and Serena Williams all grace centre court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in recent years.

Announcing the sponsorship today at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free said: “We are delighted to announce Barclays title sponsorship and we believe it takes our tournament to a new level. Many of our existing sponsors have been with the tournament since the beginning and we hope that this is the start of a long relationship with Barclays.

“The tournament has come a long way since 1993 and I would like to thank the Government of Dubai for its support of this event with particular thanks to our tournament patron, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.”

Barclays, which has had offices in Dubai for 30 years, is the title sponsor of a number of high profile sporting events around the world, including the Barclays Premiership, the world’s most watched Football League.

Ahmed Khizer Khan, CEO of Barclays Global Retail and Commercial Banking Emerging Markets, said: “We are delighted to sponsor the tournament. Barclays has an extensive portfolio of sponsorships around the world, and our very first professional tennis sponsorship is a great addition. This is a clear signal of Barclays commitment to the UAE, to the local community and to sport.”

The tournament has generated massive media exposure for Dubai over the years and its popularity is reflected in the box office where, in 2007, finals tickets sold out within hours of going on sale. Over 120,000 spectators watched the live action at the Dubai Tennis Stadium this year, while a global audience estimated at 400 million watched the TV coverage from around the world.

Two weeks of star-studded competition begins on February 25th 2008 with the Tier II Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament and is followed by the ATP International Series Gold event from March 3rd to 8th.

For further information: John Rynehart, Promoseven Sports Marketing,
M: + 971 50 55 96795; E: john.rynehart@promoseven.com