Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves has said that the airline’s sponsorship of EuroLeague Basketball, alongside the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, reflects both a commercial strategy and a broader vision of how sport connects communities.
Speaking to Aletihad, Neves highlighted the scale of Etihad’s ambitions with respect to the four-year sponsorship in a fifth sport, each reflecting the scale of global operations for the Abu Dhabi-based airline.
“We were doing 10 million passengers, now we’re doing 21–22 million. In the next five years, we’re going to double again – from 100 planes to 200 planes. Working with DCT to target 90 million EuroLeague fans is the right way to reach potential guests who may consider Etihad and Abu Dhabi as their preferred choice,” Neves said soon after the announcement was made at the Etihad Arena.
Etihad is already associated with leading sports assets – from Formula One and Manchester City to cricket and badminton – and Neves sees basketball as a natural addition.
Earlier in May this year, Abu Dhabi hosted the Final Four, European basketball’s equivalent of the NBA play-offs, which counts as a separate tournament away from the main league season. It is a three-time hosting deal likely spread over non-successive years.
On the field, the UAE will also make its mark with the phoenix-like rise of the Dubai Basketball team. Having made it to the semi-finals on debut in the Adriatic Basketball Association league, Dubai Basketball is now part of an expanded 20-team EuroLeague where fans will see the club’s star-studded lineup rub shoulders with the best in the business.
Summing up the three-pronged slam dunk and what it means for the sport’s outlook in the UAE, Neves likened the arrangement to a complete score: “I would say it’s nine points: three for Etihad, three for Experience Abu Dhabi, and three for EuroLeague.”
Neves also pointed to the wider impact through sport, noting Etihad’s association with Manchester City. “Like football, basketball is a major global sport. Having a team in Dubai and hosting international games here is phenomenal. It’s not just about numbers on a balance sheet; it’s about how sport can integrate cultures and showcase the UAE as a global destination.”
Neves, who counts Brazil and football as his personal sporting roots, said basketball has become an equally significant global force. “When we travel, we realise how powerful sport is. In the Middle East, people love football, but I also learned that people love basketball.
“Abu Dhabi has Formula One, UFC, and now this EuroLeague sponsorship. It’s remarkable because sport brings people together and teaches us lessons – including the importance of losing, which can be as valuable as winning.”
