UAE Exchange associates with the Asian Football Confederation as Official Sponsor

First and only remittance and foreign exchange house to sponsor all home football games till 2020 

Abu Dhabi, 05 September 2016: The leading global remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions brand, UAE Exchange recently announced that it has signed up with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as an official sponsor of national football competitions from 2016 till 2020. With this association, UAE Exchange becomes the first and only remittance and foreign exchange house to join the official sponsors’ brandwagon. 

Speaking on the association, Gopakumar Bhargavan, Chief Marketing Officer - UAE Exchange, said, “It is our belief that sports is a binding force. We chose to partner with AFC because football is right up there when it comes to a worldwide fan following and emotional attachments. Similarly, with a strong legacy of 36 years, UAE Exchange has also grown to be a leading player in the remittance industry thanks to its loyal customer base and the bond we share with them. This is aptly represented in our association with AFC and we are delighted to be the exclusive money transfer and foreign exchange brand as an official sponsor of the national competitions till 2020. We see this sponsorship fit in with our strategic plans to connect and engage with our customers on a much larger platform, while reaching out to football-loving audiences regionally and worldwide.”

The five-year agreement has UAE Exchange as the official sponsor of more than 200 home games covering matches of Asian Qualifiers – Road to Russia, AFC U-19 Championship 2018, AFC U-16 Championship 2018, AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 and AFC Futsal Championship 2020.

“The Asian Football Confederation is pleased to welcome UAE Exchange on board as an official sponsor for the national team competitions. The AFC competitions are growing in terms of fixtures, excitement and audiences. More people are watching live in stadia and on television than ever before. This creates tremendous opportunities for global brands such as UAE Exchange to collaborate in promoting and enjoying the strength and popularity of the game in Asia,” said AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor John.

Bhargavan added, ‘“This sponsorship deal provides countless opportunities to engage our audiences in novel ways, with above-, below- and through-the-line components. To bring the game closer to our audiences, we have developed an integrated marketing campaign and outreach programme that will be leveraged across various channels. Our made-for-the-occasion theme of #YallaLetsPlay kicks-off with exciting on-ground, in-stadia and digital activities on offer to invite people into the footballing experience.”

The sponsorship agreement gives UAE Exchange the official rights and entitlements to use competitions’ marks, to use photographs of players from the competitions, and also to take video clips from the games to include in its marketing collateral. It also raises brand equity of UAE Exchange by displaying the UAE Exchange logo on the backdrop of official football occasions including press conferences and award ceremonies.