Jiu-Jitsu worldwide is aiming towards becoming a professional sport. There has yet to be any major corporation to sponsor the sport. Most sponsors are directly related to Jiu-Jitsu (Gi companies etc..)
This has now changed and in a big way: The International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), official partner of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, is now the main sponsor of all UAEJJF’s championships locally and internationally.
This is huge news as IPIC is also an important sponsor of the Real Madrid Football team.
IPIC executive director Khadem al Qubaisi with Real Madrid’s Ronaldo and Florentino Perez
Back in March 2015, The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) entered into a sponsorship agreement where the Arena at the Zayed Sports City is now called the ‘IPIC Arena.’ The agreement was announced at the renamed IPIC Arena in Abu Dhabi and is for a period of 10 years.
Fahad Al Shamsi, chief executive of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said:
“IPIC is the official partner of the UAEJJF and they continue to play a huge role in the development and promotion of the sport both locally and internationally, we hope all national companies to follow the path in supporting the sports activities in order to provide a distinctive service to the UAE youth,”
HE Souheil Al Mazroui, Managing Director of IPIC said:
“We are proud in IPIC to support the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation in its quest to achieve the directives of the leadership to spread Jiu-Jitsu among the youth of the nation and transform Abu Dhabi into the global capital for the sport.”
IPIC is the International Petroleum Investment Company, formed by the Abu Dhabi government in 1984 to invest in the energy and related sectors across the globe.Today it manages a portfolio of investments in more than 18 leading companies across the hydrocarbon value chain, including exploration and production, shipping and pipelines, downstream retail and marketing, petrochemicals, power and utilities as well as industrial services.
