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Sports fans in Qatar will be witnessing the beginning of a new era with the official announcement of an agreement between the Qatar National Olympic Committee (QNOC) and Qatar National Bank (QNB).

The agreement states that QNB will be the exclusive sponsor of the four major sport championships in Qatar: football, basketball, handball and volleyball for the 2006/2007 season. The sponsorship includes Leagues of the four games and H.H. the Heir Apparent Cup, and H.H. the Emir Cup.

The agreement is considered the first and the largest ever, not only in Qatar but in the entire region. It is the first time a single institution sponsors all such sports events at one time, which is a clear evidence QNB’s commitment to support the Qatari community and elevate the spirit of competition.

The agreement, held at the QNOC headquarters, was signed by H.E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Secretary General of QNOC, and Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Acting Chief Executive, QNB. It was attended by presidents of the concerned sports federations, QNB senior officials, and press and media representatives.

H.E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani expressed his content for reaching this agreement which "reveals the true will of QNB management to support Qatari society institutions of which sport is an integrated part, in addition to raising the level of sports and encouraging Qatari youths to get involved in the main events that QNOC supervises, all for the sake of planting the spirit of competition and winning in the souls of the Qatari youth".

Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi said that QNB’s upper management is dedicated to contributing effectively to the success of sports in Qatar. "This agreement signed with QNOC is the fruit of years of continuous cooperation. QNB is committed to build and develop the capabilities of youth who represent the essence of the community. Our ambitions go well beyond the banking sector to reach sport, social, educational and cultural activities. These all converge for the benefit of motivating individuals and particularly young athletes to achieve their personal ambitions,” said Mr. Al Emadi.

Mr. Al Emadi also added, "This sponsorship is certainly not a new endeavor for QNB. We are the official bank of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, which will be the biggest in the history of Asia and will be supervised and organized by QNOC.”

Al Emadi emphasized that QNB will continue backing the traditional sports, the major sports and individual games, as well as its social and educational commitment to Qatar Foundation, the Social Development Center, and Qatar University.

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About Qatar National Bank (QNB)
QNB was established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank. The ownership structure is split between the Government of Qatar (50%) and the private sector (50%). QNB has grown to become the largest bank in Qatar controlling assets representing approximately 45% of the total banking system

QNB has the largest distribution network in the country with 37 local branches and more than 97 ATMs. QNB also enjoys regional and international presence thanks to its branches in London, Paris, and Yemen and its representative offices in Libya and Singapore.

QNB provides a full range of retail, investment, wealth management, and Islamic banking services and products for individuals, corporate institutions and government entities. QNB is constantly striving to provide intelligent banking solutions and its range of products, services, and delivery channels across all disciplines continues to be unrivalled. QNB subsidiary, Ansbacher Holdings, was the first financial institution to be granted a license to operate in the Qatar Financial Centre and provides a wide range of wealth management services both regionally & internationally.

QNB has the highest credit rating among Qatari banks from leading rating agencies including Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch, and Capital Intelligence and is rated among the top 10 regional banks. The Bank has also been the recipient of the “Best Bank in Qatar” award from leading international specialized financial publications including: The Banker, Euromoney, Global Finance and Project Finance.

Through its affiliate, Al Watani Al Islami, QNB was the first commercial bank in Qatar to offer Islamic Banking services and products, and the first Qatari bank to launch equity funds (Al Watani Funds) for companies listed in the Doha Securities Market.

In addition to providing banking services, QNB is involved in several social, educational, and sports efforts. QNB is the official bank of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.

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