Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli ends sponsorship with Qatar Airways

Jeddah: Saudi Arabian football club Al Ahli said just hours after the Gulf country cut diplomatic ties with Qatar that it would end its financial association with Qatar Airways.

The Saudi club took to Twitter to announce “the termination of the sponsorship contract between the club and Qatar Airways”.

A three-year sponsorship deal, worth an estimated $16 million a season (Dh58.7 million) with the Doha-based carrier was originally signed in October 2014 and renewed in May this year.

As part of the deal, Al Ahli played FC Barcelona, previously sponsored by the airline, in a high-profile friendly in December last year.