Emirates has announced the extension of its partnership with Arsenal Football Club (Arsenal) until 2028 at the earliest. This will continue the longest-running shirt sponsorship in Premier League history, dating back to July 2006. The announcement was made ahead of the team's match against AS Monaco in the Emirates Cup, which ended 1-1 after a penalty shootout.

Emirates has become a prominent part of Arsenal over 17 years. The airline appears on the front of the men's, women's, and academy team shirts. In addition, Arsenal's stadium in north London has been named Emirates Stadium since opening in 2006.

Emirates has also been involved in multiple pre-season tours aimed at connecting Arsenal to its fanbase around the world. One recent initiative by Emirates and Arsenal is the 'Global Gooners' campaign that flies passengers to London to see Emirates Stadium in person. Emirates offers nonstop flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Heathrow Airport (LHR), Gatwick Airport (LGW), and Stansted Airport (STN) in London.

To celebrate the partnership extension, Arsenal released a film that showcases memories fans made at Emirates Stadium over the years. The film was intended to emphasize the strength of Emirates and Arsenal's partnership.

Juliet Slot, Arsenal's Chief Commercial Officer, said: "We are incredibly proud to make history by extending our partnership with Emirates until 2028. The longevity of our special relationship is a sign of our enduring shared values, our ambition to bring our global communities together, and our commitment to building on the numerous achievements that have marked our 17-year journey to date."

Slot added: "As we take our partnership to a minimum of 22 years together, we're excited to move forward and we're focused on celebrating more incredible moments with our supporters around the world."

Tim Clark, President of Emirates, shared: "I'm proud of the journey that Emirates and Arsenal have shared over the past 17 years. Together, we've celebrated triumphs and stood strong against challenges. Our partnership has been built on a shared vision of excellence and a dedication to enriching the experiences of fans around the world."

Clark added: "Emirates is very pleased to extend and reaffirm our partnership with Arsenal. We look forward to creating even more magical moments with Arsenal; and together, unite, inspire, and make a meaningful impact on communities around the world through the beautiful game."

This extension expands on a previous one made by Emirates and Arsenal in February 2018. The five-year renewal of Emirates' shirt partnership with Arsenal was the team's largest sponsorship deal ever signed and one of the largest in football at the time. Now is the right time for the partnership to be extended again since the previous extension was set to expire at the end of the upcoming 2023-2024 season.

The 2018 sponsorship deal also involved Emirates continuing to use its name on Arsenal's playing and training kits. It also allowed Arsenal to use its aircraft on pre-season tours and maintain marketing rights to develop campaigns and initiatives worldwide. It is currently unknown if Emirates will continue to have these privileges as part of this year's sponsorship extension.

Arsenal's stadium will continue to be named Emirates Stadium until 2028 as part of a sponsorship extension signed in 2012. The renewal of Emirates' Arsenal shirt sponsorship shows the airline's commitment to working with Arsenal long-term.

Arsenal is not the only European football team Emirates works with. The airline sponsors other teams such as Real Madrid and AC Milan and matches such as the Emirates FA Cup. Furthermore, Emirates is the official airline of international sporting events across rugby, tennis, horse racing, golf, cricket, cycling, sailing, and Australian football.