Manchester City, the English Premier League soccer club owned by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, is set to receive another injection of funds from the Middle East, after Etisalat signed a memorandum of understanding to sponsor the club for three years.

The telecommunications service provider will become the exclusive MCFC Telecommunications Partner in the countries of Etisalat's operations later in this season, in a deal expected to be worth a significant sum to the club. City's local rivals, Manchester United, secured a similar deal with Globacom earlier this month worth US$4.9 million per year.

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"The profile of the club is already growing globally, and the ability to effectively expand this growth with tailored communications forms the core of our agreement with Etisalat," said Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook. "This strategic opportunity allows us to connect to passionate football fans around the Middle East and African regions, providing customised Manchester City content through mobile communications channels."

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Etisalat group chief marketing officer Essa Al Haddad added: "Etisalat's agreement with Manchester City reflects our passionate commitment to football, in the UAE and internationally, and to our growing global customer base. Our objective is to create, nurture and develop the young talent in UAE, and position UAE as a leading country on the world sports map."

Etisalat provides a broad range of fixed line and mobile phone services to more than 94 million subscribers across 18 countries.