Newcastle United have teamed up with Saudi Arabia’s national carrier SAUDIA ahead of Eddie Howe’s side’s visit to Riyadh next month. Howe, his staff and players will travel on a SAUDI charter flight when they fly to the Middle East for a week-long training camp, which includes a friendly against Saudi Arabian Pro League champions Al-Hilal on December 8. SAUDIA will be the Official United Tour Airline Partner and as part of the partnership they have introduced an official digital hub – saudia-newcastleunitedfc.com – allowing supporters to win tickets to see Newcastle take on Al-Hilal. Newcastle United have partnered with Saudia. Peter Silverstone, Newcastle’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “While Newcastle United are on an exciting and ambitious journey to grow our global reach and fan base, we are also very focused on growing our fan base and to follow in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East. “Our ambition is to become the most supported English Premier League football club in Saudi Arabia. a country whose population includes a large, young, passionate and highly committed football community. “We are delighted to partner with SAUDIA as our official tour airline partner and look forward to working with them during our trip to Riyadh and for the remainder of the 2022/23 English Premier League season.” Khaled Tash, Chief Marketing Group SAUDIA Group, added: “We are committed to bringing the world to Saudi Arabia and this includes partnering with global sporting giants to further develop our landscape. “We hope to create a cultural bridge between Saudi Arabia and the world as we believe our culture has the potential to transcend borders, inspiring and connecting with visitors from around the world in new and meaningful ways.” SAUDI staff posed for pictures at St James’ Park and the Millennium Bridge ahead of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea, with these leaked images fueling speculation of a potential sponsorship deal. Indeed, it was revealed on the day of the game that SAUDIA, i.e. ‘Saudi Business Links – Your Gateway to Arabia’ was the sponsor of the match’s heroes, with their logo appearing on the billboards.
