Etihad sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix until 2015
Like Dubai with Emirates, Abu Dhabi is heavily investing in its airline Etihad to position itself on the world map. That's why Etihad has been the title sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since its first edition in 2009. This will be the case until 2015 as it has reached an agreement with Bernie Ecclestone.
For the first time, the airline has decided to sign a long-term agreement to partner with the event, whereas, until now, the agreements signed were only short-term (usually one year). During the signing ceremony with F1’s chief financial officer, James Hogan, the airline’s president stated: «This extension of sponsorship goes against the commercial trend of shorter sponsorship agreements and demonstrates our long-term commitment to Formula One. We have found that F1 is a very effective communication vehicle to promote the values of the Etihad brand and showcase our city of Abu Dhabi to a global audience.»
The Emirati event has, in fact, an immediate and direct impact on the local economy and the commercial activity of the airline, as highlighted by Bernie Ecclestone: «The Etihad Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi was a huge success for Etihad, Abu Dhabi, and Formula One, allowing the airline and the city to be showcased to a global audience estimated at over 500 million F1 fans. The influx of visitors to Abu Dhabi also brings a direct economic benefit, with more than 20,000 people coming to the United Arab Emirates for the event, representing tens of millions of dollars for the local tourism industry.»
The event thus has a direct impact on Al Bateen Executive Airport, which is only a quarter of an hour from the circuit, allowing teams to save a lot of time compared to other airports in the country, including Abu Dhabi’s main airport. Therefore, it has decided to set up a new reception area to enhance the comfort experienced by passengers who choose to pass through this airport.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
