RIYADH: In a bid to affirm its presence in the minds of football fans across the world, Saudi Arabia’s newly launched airline Riyadh Air has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Spanish club Atlético de Madrid. As a part of the agreement, Riyadh Air will be the main sponsor and official airline partner of the club while the logo of the airline will be present on the team kits of the players. “We are delighted to welcome Riyadh Air as our new main sponsor of the club. This partnership signifies a great opportunity to offer better experiences to our fans around the world and I am confident that this alliance with Riyadh Air will elevate our club to new height,” said Miguel Ángel Gil, CEO of Atlético de Madrid. This is Riyadh Air’s first sports sponsorship contract since its launch on March 12, 2023, according to a press statement. The airline is scheduled to begin operations in 2025, connecting the Kingdom’s capital to more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030. “It is an incredibly exciting day for Riyadh Air as we enter into a long-term partnership with Atlético de Madrid, one of Europe’s greatest clubs, to become their main and official airline partner,” said Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air. He added: “We believe that this partnership is a perfect match, as both Riyadh Air and Atletico share a commitment to excellence and a passion for connecting people and cultures around the world. We look forward to working closely with our friends at Atlético de Madrid to deliver innovative and exciting experiences for football fans and travelers.” The launch of the new airline is a part of the Kingdom’s ambitious plans to become a global tourist destination by the end of this decade, aligned with its Vision 2030 goals. “We look forward to fostering strong strategic relationships within the wider aviation ecosystem as we continue to shape our new digitally native airline to become one of the world’s most sustainable and guest-centric carriers,” said Doughlas after the launch of the airline during the Paris Air Show. Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy aims to attract 100 million visitors by 2030, along with increasing the contribution of the tourism sector to the gross domestic product in the Kingdom to more than 10 percent.