Newcastle United confirm new Saudi Arabian partnership amid Chelsea rumours

Newcastle United have partnered up with Saudi Arabia’s national carrier SAUDIA ahead of Eddie Howe’s side’s mid-season visit to Riyadh next month.

Howe, his staff and players will travel on a SAUDIA chartered flight when they fly to the Middle East for a week-long training camp, which includes a friendly against Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal on December 8.

SAUDIA will be United’s Official Tour Airline Partner and as part of the partnership have introduced an official digital hub - saudia-newcastleunitedfc.com - that enables supporters to win tickets to see Newcastle take on Al-Hilal.

Peter Silverstone, Newcastle’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Whilst Newcastle United is on an exciting and ambitious journey to grow our global reach and fanbase, we are also very focussed on growing our fan base and following in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East.

“Our ambition is to become the most supported English Premier League football team in Saudi Arabia; a country whose population includes a large, young, passionate and highly engaged football community.

“We are delighted to partner with SAUDIA as our official tour airline partner, and we 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, SAUDIA Group Chief Marketing Officer, added: “We are committed to bringing the world to Saudi Arabia, and this includes partnering with global sporting giants to further evolve our landscape.

“We hope to form a cultural bridge between Saudi Arabia and the world as we believe our culture has the potential to transcend borders, whereby we inspire and connect with guests from around the world in new and meaningful ways.”

SAUDIA staff posed for photos at St James’ Park and the Millennium Bridge ahead of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea, with those 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’ were the heroes sponsor for the match, with their logo displayed on the advertising boards.