The tournament will be held in Munich from 28 - 30 August 2003. An official release informs that it compares favourably with another golf event - the Dubai Desert Classic. Emirates is the official airline partner for this event.

The BMW International Open 2003 forms part of the PGA European Tour and carries a total of EUR 1.8 million in prize money. This year 154 professionals will take part, including Ernie Els, defending champion Thomas Björn, John Daly and Padraig Harrington.

In addition to Golf, Emirates also has a high profile in the football arena. It is one of the 15 title sponsors of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Emirates' regional manager North and Central Europe Henry Hasselbarth had the following remarks to make about the latest alliance. "Our sponsorship of sporting events in Germany not only emphasises the importance of the German market to us but also how committed we are to developing our business here. Sponsorship of top sporting events, like the BMW International Open 2003 and FIFA World Cup 2006 , underscores our brand awareness as a leading international airline not only in Germany but also with television viewers in numerous markets worldwide."

The release informs that the airline recently placed the largest aircraft order ever in aviation history. At the Paris Air Show earlier this year it ordered jets from Airbus and Boeing worth $19 billion helping it to more than double its fleet by 2010.