Dubai: Omega are in talks to extend their sponsorship of the Dubai Desert Classic and Ladies Masters golf tournaments, according to a top official at the luxury Swiss watch brand.
Raynald Aeschlimann, president and international director of sales, retail and distribution for the brand, said the current five-year agreement expired this year but ensured negotiations were under way to renew the contract.
Golf is set for its re-inclusion into the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year hiatus and Aeschlimann, whose brand is also associated with swimming and sailing, as well as being the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games and the PGA Tour, said it didn’t make sense to deviate from long-term strategies.
“We are in discussion for continuing and it’s a question of time until we will announce everything officially,” he said. “We are talking about the next three to five years.
“There is collaboration and co-operation. This tournament is a key competition in the world of golf and Omega is a key watch brand in the region.
“If you’ve seen the evolution over the last three years, we are bringing back Omega with golf at the Olympic Games in two years’ time. And this tournament — like our signing with Rory McIlroy — is part of our strategy to be a leading brand as we are in many other sports, at the Olympics.
“Omega has a tradition of sport and a tradition of being in golf very seriously and I don’t know why we should not continue to do it this way,” he added.
