Qatar Airways announced yesterday that Official Airline of the 18th Asian Games to be held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia from August 18th to September 2nd. The highly-anticipated sporting event will bring athletes from 45 participating nations to compete for Asian glory.
To mark the occasion, a high-level signing ceremony took place in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday, in the presence of the Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, Qatar’s ambassador to Indonesia Ahmed bin Jassim al-Hamar and the president of the Indonesian Asian Games 2018 Organising Committee (INASGOC) Erick Thohir. Following the tremendous success of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, of which Qatar Airways was the Official Partner and Official Airline, the national carrier Qatar has now shifted its focus from Russia to Asia, to expand its global portfolio and celebrate its strong ties across the continent.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar al-Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to be the Prestige Partner and Official Airline of the 18th Asian Games, and to once more unite fans from around the world through a shared love of sport. This highly-anticipated event strengthens our extensive global sporting portfolio and asserts our continuous dedication to celebrating sports as a means of bringing people together. We are tremendously proud to be flying the Qatar team of more than 200 athletes to Jakarta for the event, and we look forward to welcoming all fans to Jakarta and Palembang.”
Ambassador of Qatar to Indonesia Ahmed bin Jassim al-Hamar, said: “I am very proud that Qatar’s multiple award-winning national flag carrier, Qatar Airways is the Prestige Partner and Official Airline of the Asian Games. This is a significant and historic moment for the State of Qatar and the Republic of Indonesia and will further strengthen the already strong bonds that exist between the two nations. This important partnership will further increase tourism and business links between Qatar and Indonesia as well as extending Qatar’s warm hospitality and welcoming culture to the people of Indonesia and fans from around the world. We look forward to continuing to deepen relations between the Qatari and Indonesian people and wish all teams the best of luck.”
President of the Indonesian Asian Games 2018 Organising Committee (INASGOC) Erick Thohir said: “We greatly appreciate Qatar Airways’ support of the Asian Games 2018 and look forward to the success of this new and exciting partnership. This event is an important occasion that promotes both peace and unity between countries in Asia. We wish all participating nations the best of luck in this memorable world-class event.”
This is the second time that Qatar Airways has sponsored the Asian Games. The national carrier was also the Official Airline of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, where it welcomed thousands of fans from around the world to watch the Games unfold in what was the biggest sporting event in the history of Qatar.
Indonesia’s Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Qatar’s ambassador to Indonesia Ahmed bin Jassim al-Hamar and the president of the Indonesian Asian Games 2018 Organising Committee Erick Thohir at Qatar Airways sponsorship signing ceremony in Jakarta yesterday.
