Gulf sponsorship, after a year that moved the calendar
Since the war that began on 28 February, 269 Gulf events have been rescheduled (Northbourne Advisory, via Skift). Here is what moved, who sponsors what across exhibitions, sport, culture and seasons, and the deals Indian brands sign here.
What moved in 2026
Each with its new date and the source that reported it.
| Event | Status | Was | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esports World Cup · Saudi Arabia | Moved | Riyadh, summer | Paris, 2 Jul to 23 Aug 2026 | Wikipedia, 2026 Esports World Cup |
| Saudi Arabian Grand Prix · Saudi Arabia | Cancelled | Jeddah, April | Cancelled (announced 14 Mar 2026) | Wikipedia, 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix |
| Bahrain Grand Prix · Bahrain | Cancelled | Sakhir, April | Cancelled (announced 14 Mar 2026) | Wikipedia, 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix |
| Esports Nations Cup · Saudi Arabia | Postponed | Riyadh, November 2026 | Postponed to November 2027 | Wikipedia, Esports Nations Cup |
| Art Dubai · United Arab Emirates | Moved | April | 14 to 17 May 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| Arabian Travel Market · United Arab Emirates | Moved | 4 to 7 May | 17 to 20 Aug 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| Abu Dhabi International Book Fair · United Arab Emirates | Moved | April | 13 to 18 Sep 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| Airport Show · United Arab Emirates | Moved | May | 12 to 14 Oct 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| World Art Dubai · United Arab Emirates | Moved | April | 19 to 22 Nov 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| Dubai International Boat Show · United Arab Emirates | Moved | April | 25 to 29 Nov 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| Culture Summit Abu Dhabi · United Arab Emirates | Moved | April | 8 to 10 Dec 2026 | The National, 10 Apr 2026 |
| Dubai Lynx · United Arab Emirates | Moved | Spring | Creativity Week 6 to 7 Oct, awards 8 Oct 2026 | Campaign Middle East |
| GITEX Global · United Arab Emirates | New venue | October, Dubai World Trade Centre | 7 to 11 Dec 2026, Expo City Dubai | Dubai Media Office, 8 Oct 2025 |
GITEX Global's move to December at Expo City was announced in October 2025, before the war.
Edition by edition
Gulf properties with sponsors on record for more than one season. Each page has the full sponsor history.
Sharjah Biennial
67 sponsors · 2023–2027
FootballAl Ain
30 sponsors · 1991–2023
FilmRed Sea International Film Festival
30 sponsors · 2022–2025
FootballAl-Nassr
19 sponsors · 1979–2025
MotorsportAbu Dhabi Grand Prix
14 sponsors · 2024–2026
FootballAl-Ahli Saudi
13 sponsors · 1978–2023
FootballAl-Arabi SC (Qatar)
13 sponsors · 2000–2021
FootballAl Hilal SFC
11 sponsors · 2004–2023
Business, tech and industry1 Billion Followers Summit
11 sponsors · 2025–2026
FootballAl-Hazem
8 sponsors · 2017–2025
FootballSaudi Arabia national football team
8 sponsors · 1976–2011
Kabaddi, hockey, tennis and moreDubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
8 sponsors · 2026–2027
Gulf sponsors
Brands with three or more confirmed Gulf deals. Hide the ones owned by a state or a sovereign fund to see what private brands buy.
| Brand | Category | Ownership | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Travel & hospitality | State-linked | 9 |
| Tameeni Insurance | Banking & finance | Private | 8 |
| DP World | Business services | State-linked | 7 |
| ADNOC | Energy & industrial | State-linked | 6 |
| STC | Telecom | State-linked | 6 |
| Qatar Airways | Travel & hospitality | State-linked | 5 |
| Saudi Qaid Transport | Travel & hospitality | Private | 5 |
| Etihad Airways | Travel & hospitality | State-linked | 4 |
| Khaleej Times | Media & entertainment | Private | 4 |
| CNN | Media & entertainment | Private | 4 |
| ADCB | Banking & finance | Private | 4 |
| Emaar | Home & building | State-linked | 4 |
| Rolex | Fashion & lifestyle | Private | 4 |
| Roads and Transport Authority | Government & institutions | Private | 4 |
| Dubai Police | Government & institutions | Private | 4 |
| Yelo | – | Private | 3 |
| Yelo Rent a Car | Automotive | Private | 3 |
| Skillano | – | Private | 3 |
| First Abu Dhabi Bank | Banking & finance | State-linked | 3 |
| Emirates NBD | Banking & finance | State-linked | 3 |
| Doha Bank | Banking & finance | Private | 3 |
| Snoonu | – | Private | 3 |
| Burrda | – | Private | 3 |
| Mubadala | Healthcare | State-linked | 3 |
| Dubai Fitness Challenge | Government & institutions | Private | 3 |
| Mediclinic | Healthcare | Private | 3 |
| Aldar | Home & building | State-linked | 3 |
| The National | Media & entertainment | Private | 3 |
| Abu Dhabi Sports Council | Government & institutions | Private | 3 |
| Dubai Civil Defence | Government & institutions | Private | 3 |
| Dubai Eye 103.8 | Media & entertainment | Private | 3 |
| ARN | Media & entertainment | Private | 3 |
| Van Cleef & Arpels | Fashion & lifestyle | Private | 2 |
| Reflo | – | Private | 2 |
| Red Sea Global | – | State-linked | 2 |
| Aldyar Alarabiya | – | Private | 2 |
| Offside | – | Private | 2 |
| Basic Electronics | Consumer electronics | Private | 2 |
| Savvy Games | Gaming & fantasy sports | Private | 2 |
| Roshn | Home & building | State-linked | 2 |
| Mezaj Maghribhi | – | Private | 2 |
| Jetour | Automotive | Private | 2 |
| NEOM | Home & building | State-linked | 2 |
| Shurooq | – | Private | 2 |
| Mai Dubai | Travel & hospitality | Private | 2 |
| Sharq Insurance | Banking & finance | Private | 2 |
| Al Rayan Bank | Banking & finance | Private | 2 |
| Grand Sport | – | Private | 2 |
| Experience Abu Dhabi | Travel & hospitality | State-linked | 2 |
| TikTok | Technology & software | Private | 2 |
| Saudia | Travel & hospitality | State-linked | 2 |
| Visit Qatar | Travel & hospitality | State-linked | 2 |
| Dell Technologies | Consumer electronics | Private | 2 |
| Accenture | Technology & software | Private | 2 |
| Mobily | Telecom | Private | 2 |
| Al-Jawal | – | Private | 2 |
| S-Team | – | Private | 2 |
| Ericsson | Telecom | Private | 2 |
| Ooredoo | Telecom | State-linked | 2 |
| Nova | Telecom | Private | 2 |
| Dubai Holding | Energy & industrial | State-linked | 2 |
| DIFC | – | Private | 2 |
| ITP Media Group | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| e& | Telecom | State-linked | 2 |
| Art Africa | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Art Asia Pacific | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| ArtReview | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Canvas | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Moussee | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Tadweer | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| The Art Newspaper | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Abu Dhabi Aviation | Travel & hospitality | Private | 2 |
| Abu Dhabi Global Market | Banking & finance | Private | 2 |
| Arena Middle East and Asia | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| Mubadala Capital | Banking & finance | Private | 2 |
| Lunate | Banking & finance | Private | 2 |
| The Entertainer | Technology & software | Private | 2 |
| Bapco | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| ExxonMobil | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| EY | Business services | Private | 2 |
| TotalEnergies | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| Art Jameel | Arts, venues & leisure | Private | 2 |
| SRMG | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Bahrain Economic Development Board | Government & institutions | Private | 2 |
| Gulf Construction | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Entrepreneur Middle East | Media & entertainment | Private | 2 |
| Ministry of Sport | Government & institutions | Private | 2 |
| Neo Space Group | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| Aggreko | Energy & industrial | Private | 2 |
| Al Laith | Arts, venues & leisure | Private | 2 |
Show all 90 Gulf sponsors
Indian brands in the Gulf
8 confirmed deals by Indian brands on Gulf properties. Few so far: brand origin is recorded for a fifth of brands, and we are adding them brand by brand.
Official partner · Event · 2027
Listed under "Official Partner" on dakar.com's own partners page.
Partner · Event · 2027
Official Supplier. On the Dubai Marathon's Official Suppliers page for the 2027 race.
Title · Event · 2026
The wall's "Title Partner", shown as the Hero mark; the name leads the tournament title.
Broadcast · Event · 2026
Listed under "Broadcast Partner"; the logo links to zee5.com.
Bronze sponsor · Event · 2026
Bronze Sponsor on the official LEAP 2026 partner page.
Sleeve sponsor · Team · 2025
Sleeve sponsor of Al-Nassr, 2025–present. Listed for the 2025–26 season.
Launch · 24 Apr 2018
GIB brought its Shariah-compliant digital bank meem to Bahrain with a launch event at the meem store in The Avenues attended by the Central Bank governor. The proposition was a One Pack current-and-savings account opened and run entirely from a mobile app, with a video contact centre and social-media servicing.