Mahmoud El-Khatib, president of Al Ahly Club, extended his thanks to Vodafone during the ceremony announcing its sponsorship of the club, affirming that the partnership represents a new step to support Al Ahly's resources and complete its projects, foremost among them the new stadium.
El-Khatib's speech
El-Khatib said during his speech delivered at the ceremony: "There will be more in the future for Al Ahly Club, as Al Ahly always thinks of finding resources that exceed its expenses and help it develop, because it always strives to fulfill its obligations."
He added: "This historic event must be discussed, whether in the sponsorship file or Al Ahly Stadium. My treatment journey ended last January, and after the medical reports improved, a friend informed me of Vodafone's desire to sponsor the club, and it certainly has great credit with Al Ahly and was a partner in many of its successes."
He continued: "I reviewed the financial offer before settling on the contract, met with the company's officials, and from the first moment I felt the extent of their appreciation for the club. I was surprised by their desire to obtain the naming rights for Al Ahly Stadium, and cooperating with a major entity like Vodafone benefits both parties, and we reached a figure that is the best in Al Ahly's history so far."
Al Ahly's president clarified: "I held many meetings with the board of directors, and everyone welcomed the agreement. Our message is always to seek everything that benefits the club. The dream has become close to reality, and Vodafone obtaining the naming rights for Al Ahly Stadium provides important financial security for building and constructing the stadium, which is an addition to both Al Ahly and the sponsoring company."
He went on: "Thanks must be directed to the Red Castle Company, and we have full confidence in those in charge of it and the members of its board of directors. The work on the stadium project is very large, and the difficulties were many, especially regarding the nature of the soil, but we overcame them."
He added: "I also requested that the stands' stairs be moving to facilitate the movement of the fans, especially the third-class fans, even though implementing that will take some time."
El-Khatib concluded his statements by saying: "I extend my thanks to the club's engineering consultant, and I also thank the members of Al Ahly's board of directors for their dedication, devotion, and constant keenness to bring the club to the position it deserves. I appreciate their support for me during my health circumstances in the past months, and I extend all thanks to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and all state institutions."
