BERLIN: Bayern Munich confirmed Tuesday that Qatar Airways will replace Lufthansa as one of their sponsors, expanding the German club’s business links with the tiny Gulf state.
Qatar Airways have signed a five-year deal as ‘platinum partners’, the level below Bayern’s main sponsors Adidas, Telekom, Audi and Allianz.
The Qatar Airways logo will now appear on the shirt sleeves of the runaway German league leaders.
Bayern’s marketing director Andreas Jung told Frankfurt-based newspaper FAZ that such a partnership “will help us to become more international.”
Qatar Airways have taken over the current sponsorship deal, from August 2017, of Doha’s Hamad International Airport, to sponsor Bayern’s shirt sleeves.
According to FAZ, the new sponsorship deal will earn Bayern more than the 10 million euros ($12.3m) they received annually from Hamad International Airport.
The move will raise eyebrows in Bavaria with German airline Lufthansa now dropped.
Their ties to World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar have seen Bayern repeatedly criticized.
Bayern spent their winter break in Qatar, which organizes a training camp every January for the German champions.
Qatar Airways replaces Lufthansa as Bayern Munich sponsor
Qatar Airways replaces Lufthansa as Bayern Munich sponsor
Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows
WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.
The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.
It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.
This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.
He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.
Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.
The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.
The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.
