Company hosted special event to announce partnership and unveil plan
– Al Khashti: “Zain offers KD 50k of prizes for athletes and fans, the biggest prize pool in league’s history.”
– Al Mutairi: “Zain always at forefront of Kuwaiti sports supporters, our partnership achieves KFA’s new vision.”
– KFA raised Dawri Zain champion’s prize to KD 100k, highest prize in league’s history.
– Cash prizes for athletes and fans, social events at stadiums during big matches.
– Company unveiled all-new first-ever local Fantasy Football League competition.
Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, held a special event to announce its partnership with the Kuwait Football Association (KFA), during which the company outlined its joint vision with the KFA to take Kuwaiti football to new levels as an Official Sponsor for the next four seasons.
Zain hosted the special event at the Grand Ballroom at Grand Hayat Hotel, attended by Zain Kuwait’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer Waleed Al Khashti, Deputy Director of the Kuwait Football Association Hayef Al Mutairi, as well as executives from the company and the KFA, representatives of sports media, and Kuwaiti football stars.
During the event, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer Waleed Al Khashti said: “We are proud to welcome you all to this special event to announce the new partnership between Zain and the KFA. We are thrilled to showcase our shared vision with you to take Kuwaiti football and sports to new levels.”
Al Khashti continued: “We firmly believe that the private sector has a vital and active role in developing the local sports and youth sectors, and we make this belief a reality by sponsoring and supporting some of the biggest sports programs in the nation. This partnership with Kuwait’s top football competition comes to strengthen the leadership role Zain plays in the local sports scene and is perfectly in line with our sustainability and social responsibility strategy towards the sports and youth sectors.”
Al Khashti announced: “Zain is the Official Sponsor of the KFA’s competitions for the next four seasons (2022-2026), including the Kuwaiti Premier League (now known as Dawri Zain) and the First Division League. We are also supporting H.H. the Amir’s Cup, H.H. the Crown Prince’s Cup, and the KFA Cup (Zain Cup).”
Al Khashti explained that Zain’s role will center around three main areas; supporting athletes with cash prizes, launching social events and interacting with fans at stadiums, and an all-new surprise: the first-ever Fantasy Football League in Kuwaiti football’s history. These contributions and more go in line with the KFA’s vision to further enrich the local football scene, given that it is the most beloved sports among Kuwaitis.
Al Khashti announced that Zain is set to offer KD 50,000 of prizes per season, which is the biggest prize pool ever to be distributed in the Kuwaiti League’s history. By dedicating cash prizes for athletes, the company seeks to encourage players to pursue excellence and elevate the league’s performance. Zain will present cash prizes starting from the ninth round of the current season.
Zain’s cash prizes for athletes are as follows: Player of the Season Prize: KD 10,000, Player of the Round Prize: KD 500, Season’s Top Scorer Prize: KD 5,000, Season’s Best Goalkeeper Prize: KD 5,000, Season’s Best Coach KD 3,000, and Season’s Rising Star Prize: KD 2,000.
Al Khashti noted that a special committee was formed in coordination with the KFA to outline the standards and criteria on which the prize winners will be selected. The committee is membered by former Kuwaiti international players Saad Al Houti (as the committee’s head), Wael Sulaiman, Osama Hussain, and Mohammed Benyaan.
Speaking about Zain’s tole towards fans, Al Khashti said: “We don’t want our contribution in the league to center around supporting athletes only, but we want to extend our excitement to the fans as well. We will be interacting with fans continuously by organizing special events at stadiums.”
Al Khashti added: “We will also host various restaurants, cafes, and local SMEs to offer their services to fans, especially during big matches like derbies, classicos, and finals. We ask fans to stay tuned for our special competitions, prizes, and giveaways on the stands and on our social media channels.”
Al Khashti unveiled a new surprise for Kuwaiti football fans: “We have an all-new surprise for fans of Kuwaiti sports, held for the first time in the nation: the first-ever local Fantasy Football League competition for the Kuwaiti Premier League, available soon via a website and smartphones app. Through this step, we aspire to bring Kuwaiti football into the digital era.”
Fantasy Football is one of the most popular games in European leagues, and Zain sought to offer Kuwaiti fans the same experience in a 100% local flavor. The platform is set to launch with the start of the second part of the current season.
Zain’s Fantasy Football League offers users a thrilling experience to pick their own team and compete with other players to achieve fantasy league titles. Players select 15 players to form their team from the available KD 100m budget, and player prices will depend on their actual performance in the Kuwaiti Premier League. Each user scores points depending on their team’s actual results from real matches. Users can play soon via the website and smartphones app on the App Store and Play Store.
To encourage fans to play, compete, and passionately follow their teams, Zain is set to offer cash prizes of KD 10,000 to the winners of the Zain Fantasy Football League. The prizes will be given to the winners of the first three places at the end of the season as follows: KD 5000 for the first-place winner, KD 3500 for the second-place winner, and KD 1500 for the third-place winner.
During the event, Deputy Director of the Kuwait Football Association Hayef Al Mutairi said: “Zain is always at the forefront of Kuwaiti sports supporters, and today we are pleased to form this partnership that will surely take local football to new levels. At the KFA, we are thrilled to raise the Dawri Zain champion’s prize to KD 100,000, as well as KD 60,000 for the second-place winner and KD 40,000 for the third-place winner. These new prizes are the result of the fruitful collaboration between Zain and the KFA.”
Al Mutairi added: “We urge private sector companies to follow Zain’s example with such great contributions that would surely elevate Kuwaiti sports. The private sector has a vital role in partnering with the public sector to further progress our nation’s various sectors, including youth and sports.”
Zain is always keen on supporting the various sports programs and official competitions hosted in Kuwait with the aim of elevating the Kuwaiti sports scene. The company strongly believes that the private sector has a vital role in progressing sports and youth initiatives, and it makes this belief a reality by shouldering similar events.
As a leading private sector company in Kuwait, Zain is constantly looking to identify and support excellence across the sports sector. The company will continue to put Kuwaiti sports and athletes at the forefront of its priorities and pledges to continue motivating them to achieve all the recognition and support they deserve.
