May 21 – Spanish champions FC Barcelona have added another commercial partner in the Middle East after agreeing a new sponsorship deal with UAE-based Emirates Islamic.
The agreement will see Emirates Islamic become Barcelona’s official commercial banking partner in the UAE through to June 2028, further strengthening the club’s commercial footprint in one of their most valuable overseas markets.
As part of the partnership, the two organisations will launch an Emirates Islamic Barça Cashback Card aimed at supporters in the region – a co-branded product that will offer cashback rewards across a range of spending categories while also providing access to Barcelona match tickets and official merchandise.
The deal arrives at a time when Barcelona continue to aggressively expand their commercial activity outside Europe, particularly across the Middle East and Asia, where the club claim to have around 17 million fans in the UAE alone.
Barcelona already operate a long-standing football academy in Dubai, launched in 2008, and the latest agreement reflects the growing importance of financial services partnerships within football’s global sponsorship market.
Mohammed Kamran Wajid, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Emirates Islamic, said: “We are proud to partner with FC Barcelona, a club that represents passion, excellence, and global appeal. This partnership allows us to offer our customers a unique combination of rewarding financial benefits and extraordinary sporting experiences.
“The Emirates Islamic FC Barcelona Co-Branded Card reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing customer value through innovative and lifestyle-driven products.”
Marc Bruix, Global Partnerships Director of FC Barcelona, added: “For FC Barcelona, our fans are at the centre of everything we do. Thanks to our alliance with Emirates Islamic, we can offer our supporters in the UAE a new way to connect with the club in their daily lives. The Emirates Islamic Barça Cashback Card is a perfect example of how sports sponsorship can go beyond the pitch and deliver real, exclusive benefits for our global community.”
The agreement continues a busy commercial period for Barcelona, who recently extended their partnership with cryptocurrency platform WhiteBIT through to 2030. The club’s wider sponsorship portfolio also includes long-term agreements with Spotify and Nike.
Barcelona secured the 2025/26 La Liga title earlier this month following a Clasico victory against Real Madrid, giving themselves a commercial advantage – and bragging rights – over their arch rivals.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]