Barcelona secure major Middle East sponsorship agreement | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have officially confirmed a major commercial step in their global expansion strategy after announcing a new sponsorship agreement in the Middle East with Emirates Islamic.

The financial institution, considered one of the leading banking groups in the Persian Gulf region, has now become Barcelona’s new Official Commercial Banking Partner in the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement represents an important commercial victory for the Catalan club as they continue to strengthen their financial structure through international partnerships and global branding opportunities.

What does this mean?

As mentioned by the club, one of the central aspects of the new collaboration will be the creation of the Emirates Islamic Barça Cashback Card, a co-branded credit card designed specifically for Barcelona supporters in the UAE.

Barcelona have secured major financial sponsorship. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The initiative aims to combine financial services with fan engagement by offering Barça supporters access to exclusive club-related benefits linked to their daily purchases.

According to Barcelona’s official statement, fans using the card will be able to access official merchandise, special prize draws, and exclusive tickets for matches at Spotify Camp Nou.

“Designed for a young fan base, the Emirates Islamic Barça Cashback Card is aimed at the approximately 1.7 million Barça supporters in the UAE, who represent more than 20% of the country’s total population, making Barça is one of the most loved sports clubs,” read Barcelona’s statement.

Important step for Barcelona

For Barcelona, expanding aggressively into international markets has become a central part of the long-term financial recovery strategy following years of economic difficulties. 

The club understand that modern football revenue is no longer driven only by matchdays and television rights, global commercial influence now plays a massive role in competing with Europe’s elite.

That is exactly why the Middle East remains such an important market.

Barcelona continue to possess enormous global appeal and the club’s estimated 1.7 million fans in the UAE alone demonstrate just how powerful the Barça brand remains internationally.