EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee

o o o o o o o o o
PARTNERS
IN SPORT
Qatar National Bank has been sponsoring
sports events FOR two decades and is now a
key supporter OF QATAR’S NATIONAL STRATEGY
It’s not unusual for blue-chip brands to support their
local sports industry through sponsorship and official
supplier agreements.
But you definitely get the sense with Qatar’s leading
companies that they like to go the extra mile. Over and
above their commercial objectives, there seems to be a
genuine desire to participate in Qatar’s great nationbuilding
agenda.
A great case in point is QNB – the Qatar National
Bank which has been sponsoring set-piece sports events
for the best part of two decades. Whether it is football,
tennis, motorsports, traditional sports or flagship events
like the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, it’s a given that QNB
will have played a pivotal role.
In recent years, the driving force behind the bank’s
emphasis on sports sponsorship has been QNB chief
executive Ali Shareef Al Emadi. And he has made it clear
on numerous occasions that QNB’s commercial success
goes hand in hand with Qatar’s prosperity as a nation. For
Leading from t
him, sports sponsorship is not just about articulating the
bank’s core values, it’s about fulfilling its responsibility to
the wider Qatari community.
Aside from QNB’s commitment to achieving its own
commercial objectives, Mr Al Emadi’s approach to sports
sponsorship consists of three main elements. Firstly, a
desire to put Qatar on the international map by sponsoring
iconic events. Secondly, a commitment to developing
young Qatari talent. And thirdly, an attempt to keep the
local population healthy and active by supporting local
community sporting events.
The classic example of how to achieve all three of these
goals at the same time was QNB’s support for the
2006 Asian Games. A brilliantly-executed event, QNB’s
36.5 million Riyal (US $10 million) financial contribution
was undoubtedly a key element of Doha’s success.
But just as important to the smooth running of the overall
planning process were the bank’s logistical expertise and
sponsorship experience.
For QNB, active involvement with the Asian Games
actually began in early 2005 when it signed its deal with
the local organising committee [DAGOC]. Straightaway,
Mr Al Emadi set up a permanent supervising committee
to manage the bank’s preparations for the Games. By
overseeing the committee himself, Mr Al Emadi sent out
two messages. Firstly, that the bank’s sponsorship strategy
would not be executed in a way which would affect its core
banking services. And secondly, that the Games really
Above: QNB was at the
heart of the action during
the 2006 Asian Games.
Below: QNB Chief Executive
Ali Shareef Al Emadi awards
Maria Sharapova with the
Qatar Open trophy.
mattered to the bank (something he also demonstrated by
taking part in the Doha torch relay).
Indeed, QNB made sure its involvement with the
Games touched the bank at every level. For example, it
issued a special credit card to commemorate the Asian
Games - donating part of the card’s revenues to the Reach
Out To Asia campaign. It also worked with DAGOC to
create an Information Emergency Centre – equipped with
state-of-the-art technology to help tackle any emergency.
As the Games approached, QNB employees became part
of a vast field force of volunteers which ensured the Games
ran smoothly.
In terms of maximising exposure for both the bank and
the event itself, QNB sponsored the official uniforms of
10,000 volunteers from 93 nations.
The bank’s commitment to the success of the event also
required a lot of activity around arrivals from abroad.
Temporary bank branches within the Athletes’ Village,
the temporary airport and the main media centre were all
built to serve QNB clients and to promote the Bank’s
products and services. QNB also ran a well-organised
corporate hospitality programme. This played a key role in
showcasing the capabilities of both the bank and Qatar to
partners.
Of course, it would be wrong to suppose that QNB’s
interest in sport was limited to a few weeks at the end of
2006. Mr. Al Emadi has often stressed that the bank’s role
in supporting the 2006 Doha Asian Games was not an
26 QatarSport Q3.08