Wataniya Palestine,BCI and Bank of Palestine participate in sponsoring the opening ceremony of the Faisal Al-Husseini stadium

 Wataniya Mobile, the new mobile network in Palestine, the Bank of Palestine and BCI, announced yesterday that they have signed an agreement with the Palestinian Football Association to participate in sponsoring the opening ceremony of the Martyr Faisal Al-Hussein stadium in Jerusalem, which is the first international standards stadium in Palestine.

Through this agreement the three companies will cooperate with the Palestinian Football Association to ensure the success of one of the most important events in Palestine’s football history. The sponsorship includes the cost of promotional activities for the event and additional construction needed at the stadium.

This development is part of the ongoing corporate social responsibility programs that are implemented by the three companies and that focus on a number of areas including youth development and sports. 

Commenting on this occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of Wataniya Mobile, Mr. Allan Richardson, said “We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the Palestinian Football Association. This sponsorship follows a number of successful sports events that we previously supported in Palestine even before we had commercially launched our services. Wataniya Mobile is proud to be a sponsor of this unique event which will help in the process of re-establishing Palestinian football both at the national and international levels. I am personally very excited about seeing this match and will of course be cheering for Palestine.”

Richardson added “In supporting this event we benefited from the experiences of our partners, Wataniya International and the Qatari Telecom Company (QTEL), who have a number of investments in the region and who had sponsored similar events on a number of occasions. The fact that we are part of a large regional telecom operator allows us to tap into expertise not only in technology and management but also in the area of social responsibility.”

Also commenting on this announcement, the General Manager of BCI, Mr. Said Baransi, said “We will work with our partners to create a success story that starts in Jerusalem and then travels the world. This event confirms the commitment of Palestinians to overcome challenges and succeed and is a great example of our ability to achieve international standards despite our limited resources.”

The General Manager of the Bank of Palestine, Mr. Hisham Al Shawa, added “By sponsoring this event we confirm the Palestinian private sector’s collective commitment to support development in Palestine and it is through such a collaborative approach that a more promising development environment can be achieved.” Mr. Al Shawa also emphasized the importance of supporting sports to enable Palestinian athletes to represent Palestine regionally and internationally.

 “This event is a continuation of a series of Palestinian athletic events that the Bank of Palestine had supported since its establishment 48 years ago. The event is of major importance to Palestine and a true beginning of our participation in regional and international sports. We are grateful to everyone who took part in creating the opportunity for us to participate in supporting this event.”

The opening ceremony of the Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium will take place on the 26th of this month and will include an international friendly match between the Jordanian and Palestinian national football teams, which will be the first international football match   to take place in Palestine. The event will be attended be a number of local and international officials including the President of the International Football Association (FIFA), Mr. Joseph Blatter, The President of the Asian Football Confederation, Mr. Mohamed bin Hammam, the President of the Jordanian Football Association, HRH Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, the President of the Egyptian Football Association, Mr. Samir Zaher, the President of the United Arab Emirates Football Association, Mr. Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi and Pascal Torres from the International Football Association (FIFA). The event will also be held under the auspices and attendance of President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad and the President of the Palestinian Football Association, General Jibreel El Rjoub.

Oct 16,2008