Aditya ChaudhuriSaudi Arabian sports and events firm Sela has signed a shirt sponsorship agreement with English professional football club Newcastle United.
The partnership will see Sela serve as Newcastle’s principal front-of-shirt sponsor starting next season. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has had the majority stake in Newcastle United FC since October 2021, also has stakes in Stela.
Darren Eales, Chief Executive, Newcastle United FC, commented:
“We are delighted to welcome Sela as our new front-of-shirt partner. This partnership follows a highly competitive commercial process and we believe we have found the perfect front-of-shirt partner to support us in reaching our objectives on and off the pitch. We team up at an exciting time in the history of both organisations given both share an ambitious vision to expand their brands globally.
“Fan engagement is central to what we do at Newcastle United and, in Sela, we are partnering with an organisation with shared interests that has delivered incredible events and experiences to millions of people over many years. Closer to home, we will work closely on the design and operation of a new fan zone area at St. James’ Park, taking inspiration from Sela’s incredible properties elsewhere.“
Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Senior Vice President at Sela, added:
“This partnership is about Sela being part of the next chapter for the club. It’s about us supporting the men’s, women’s, and academy teams. And it’s about bringing to life world-class experiences, which is at the heart of what we do as a company. or Sela, it all started with football more than 25 years ago. Today, we have grown into a multi-faceted company creating experiences and amazing destinations that millions of people enjoy each year, across a range of sport, entertainment, hospitality and retail settings.
“Now we are embarking on the next stage of our international growth. Where we can put our resources and innovation to good use for the benefit of fans, the club and the wider communities it serves, we will do so.“
Peter Silverstone, Chief Commercial Officer, Newcastle United FC, said:
“Sela joins us on our exciting journey back into the UEFA Champions League, enabling us to reach and engage with an even greater global audience together. We are proud to put their brand at the front and centre of our next stage of growth as an elite global Premier League club. Our partnership will provide a key gateway to growing our fanbase globally, and specifically in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, while showcasing Sela’s activities and iconic destinations and properties, as they look to diversify their business activities in the UK and beyond. Sela has an incredible track record in delivering experiences across recreational sectors, and particularly in marketing sporting assets and properties including the Spanish Super Cup and the Italian Super Cup.
“We believe they will market our club and brand accordingly, boosting our aim to be the most supported Premier League club in Saudi Arabia – a country with a young, digitally-savvy population that is hugely passionate about football. We look forward to announcing further details of our partnership in due course.“
