Dubai: Emirates will be the Official Partner and Airline for the ninth edition of the West Asian Football Federation Championship, taking place in Erbil and Karbala, Iraq from August 2-14. The deal demonstrates Emirates’ ongoing commitment to supporting football and connecting with fans across the region.

The West Asian Football Federation is one of the four regional governing bodies of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and consists of nine-member nations in Western Asia. This year, eight national teams including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen will be competing for the title.

The 2019 edition of the tournament will also be a milestone first staging of the event in Iraq, and the first time in 30 years that Iraq hosts a regional event of this kind.