AC MILAN AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI

An AC Milan delegation led by CEO Ivan Gazidis, with some of the Senior Managers of the Club, is on an institutional visit to Dubai on the occasion of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The presence in a strategic territory such as the Middle Eastern market is an important opportunity to continue the growth path of the Club, through the consolidation of the relationship with local partners – both existing and prospective - and to strengthen the AC Milan brand at an international level. In the region, the Rossoneri are currently involved in valuable relationships with brands such as Emirates, Principal Partner and alongside the Rossoneri since 2007, SIRO, Official Hotel Partner, and Jeeny, Official Local Partner, in addition to Expo 2020 Dubai, Official Partner.

A busy two days with institutional visits, business meetings and initiatives aimed at the Expo audience, in which AC Milan intends to further consolidate its presence in a region where interest in football is on the rise and where the passion for the brand and the Rossoneri colours is backed up by concrete figures. In the United Arab Emirates, according to Nielsen, football remains the most popular sport and with over 2.5 million fans following AC Milan the Club has a passionate base to build from. Taking into account the MENA region (The Middle East and North Africa), during the first 17 matchdays of the 2021/22 Serie A, AC Milan was the most viewed team, with an average of 450,000 viewers during games in the first 17 matches. The Rossoneri were featured in six of the ten most-watched league games during the season, with the first Derby clash topping this ranking with over 1.5 million viewers tuning in to the match.

During this trip to the Middle East, the Club will also be playing the leading role in an important event within the international context of Expo 2020 Dubai. In line with Expo's main theme, 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', CEO Ivan Gazidis, invited as a global leader in the world of sport, will be the keynote speaker at a panel discussion entitled 'The future of football and its role in society: the importance of a new generation of sustainable stadiums'.

The event will take place on Thursday 3 February at 15:00 local time (12:00 Italian time) at the NEXUS Hub in Dubai and will be streamed live on Expo 2020 Dubai's official channels. Christopher Lee, Managing Director of Populous, the architectural firm responsible for the executive design of the new Milan stadium, and Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer of Expo 2020 Dubai, will join Gazidis on stage, taking part in a panel discussion moderated by Becky Anderson, CNN Abu Dhabi Managing Editor. The session will explore the pivotal role of sustainable architecture in the future of football and modern cities. An event that further proves AC Milan's desire to act as a point of reference in the field of innovation to guide the world of football into the future.

The Club and Expo 2020 Dubai are on a journey started last September with the aim of amplifying the key messages of the event, such as innovation and sustainability, inspiring positive change for future generations through the core values of sport and football in particular. A virtuous partnership with the first Expo hosted by a country in the MEASA region (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) which to date has hosted over 10 million people, reaching over 72.5 million people virtually, in a site covering an area as large as 613 football pitches and hosting almost 200 events a day. Together with Expo, the Club already hosted their first event of the series "From Milan to Many: Watch Parties" last November. The event was attended by over 200 local Rossoneri fans who had the opportunity to watch the Champions League group stage match between AC Milan and FC Porto with AC Milan Brand Ambassador Daniele Massaro.