Emirates, one of the world's fastest-growing airlines and winner of over 200 awards, has established a reputation for excellence in aviation, but the airline is also well known for its sponsorship of events in the UAE and around the world. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, sees sponsorship as a vital element in the airline's marketing strategy: "Emirates believes that sponsorship is one of the best ways to integrate with our passengers. It allows us to share and support their interests and to build a personal relationship with them." Emirates first became involved in sponsorship in 1987, only two years after the airline began operating. The airline has been instrumental in building the status of the Dubai Rugby Sevens and has provided the backing and support to enable it to become a world-class event. That global status was acknowledged in 1999 when the Dubai Rugby Sevens was included in the International Rugby Board's World Sevens Series for the first time. The tournament continues to be part of the World Sevens Series in 2001. Since 1989, the airline has been Official Carrier for the annual Dubai Desert Classic, promoting the best of professional golf by bringing the game's top names to Dubai for the Middle East round of the European PGA tour. In 2001 the world's number one golfer Tiger Woods joined, among others, Thomas Bjorn, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O'Meara, Retief Goosen and Lee Westwood at the March tournament.  Another Dubai event to benefit from Emirates' support is the Dubai World Cup, for which Emirates has been title sponsor since its first running in 1996. The race carries prize money totalling US$6 million, but the event has become far more than simply the world's richest horse race and organisers take pride in the fact that, within a short time, the race was classified a Group 1 event and began to attract the world's top thoroughbreds.  In March 2002, Emirates Airline announced a new multi-million US dollar sponsorship agreement with Godolphin, the private racing stable of the Maktoum family. The two companies have already been linked in the forefront of the sport of horseracing for many years, but this sponsorship breaks new ground in promoting racing itself at the very highest level. As part of the agreement, the Godolphin silks will sport a new Fly Emirates logo and, for the first time, Fly Emirates branding will be carried on other elements of the stable’s livery.  Emirates has sponsored the Dubai leg of the World Offshore Powerboat Championship since 1992. In 2000, the event was also the final leg of the World Championship with the Victory team being crowned champions. Most recently, Emirates has joined with the Dubai Cricket Council to encourage the growth of cricket in the region with the introduction of a new tournament - the Emirates Airline Cricket Cup, which features the 16 elite teams in the United Arab Emirates. As Emirates grows into a truly global airline so its sponsorship portfolio has grown to reflect this. The airline has taken a leading role in the internationalisation of horse racing, sponsoring the Emirates World Series Racing Championship around the world. Developed in 1999 to provide racing with competition on a global scale, the Emirates World Series links twelve of the top races around the world, via a points system, to find the best horse, jockey, trainer and owner in the world.  The team sponsorship was only part of the commitment made by Emirates to the Cricket World Cup, for the airline was also one of the four global sponsors of the tournament. The link between the teams competing in the tournament and destinations on the Emirates network, together with the popularity of cricket in those countries, provided a perfect synergy for the airline to promote itself as a quality international airline. The Rugby League World Cup 2000 also benefited from Emirates' assistance. As Official Carrier, the airline flew nine of the 16 competing teams to and from the UK for the tournament. Emirates added to its commitment to Rugby Sevens globally becoming Official Airline for the South African leg of the World Sevens Series for three years from 2000. In January 2001, Emirates announced that it is to be the official club sponsor of Chelsea Football Club. The London based team boasts one of the most  international squads in the English Premier League and Tim Clark, Emirates' Chief Director (Airline), said that Emirates sees the sponsorship as an opportunity to promote the airline around the world. "Chelsea is a club that shares the goals and ambitions of Emirates, reflecting the qualities of our airline - prestigious, aspirational and international. This agreement will help cement our now established and growing position in the UK, elsewhere in Europe, and around the world," he said. The deal will give Emirates worldwide television exposure, through its shirt branding and perimeter advertising.  In complete contrast, Emirates is making a major contribution to the arts in Australia with its three-year title sponsorship of the Australian Film Industry Awards which have recognised excellence in Australian film-making for more than 40 years. From 2000, the airline will subsidise the awards and the presentation ceremony, which showcase the best Australian talent in film and television. In 2000, 'Looking for Alibrandi' came out on top with five awards, including Emirates Best Film Award. In January 2003, Emirates' biggest-ever sports promotion - Official Partner for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was announced. With this agreement, co-signed in Dubai by FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner, Emirates flies into the stratosphere of sport sponsorship and becomes the first-ever airline to become an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup. Sheikh Ahmed said "Our investment in sport is linked with our ongoing drive to develop into a global brand. Becoming an Official Partner will be good for Emirates, good for Dubai and good for the UAE." FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner said, "Just like FIFA, Emirates offers a five-star product. Emirates is already an Event Partner at the FIFA World Youth Championship and is now becoming an Official Partner at FIFA’s biggest event, the FIFA World Cup. We very much welcome the involvement and backing of such a high-flying company." The airline will be featured in all 2006 FIFA World Cup publicity, including branding on perimeter boards at 12 venues throughout Germany, and will enjoy ticket and hospitality facilities for all matches in the tournament, as well as similar arrangements at the other FIFA events.  Emirates' success in the aviation world is mirrored in its sponsorships and whether it is in promoting events in Dubai, supporting sports important to its passengers in other countries, or sponsoring events on a global scale, Emirates is proving itself to be a first class sponsor of all that is best in world sport.