The deal represents a major boost for youth sport in the Emirati region as the company is set to invest a substantial Dh3 million (£558,000/$816,000/€771,000) as part of the agreement.

Commercial Bank of Dubai’s investment is aimed at expanding the programme’s reach as they try to get more students involved with sport across the country.

The ultimate aim of the scheme is to source and train potential young stars for the future who could go on to represent their country at the highest level - the Olympic Games - and to instil all the values of Olympism in young athletes.

The partnership, which it is claimed could provide great benefits for UAENOC as it bids to continue to develop sport in the UAE, has been hailed by the organisation’s vice-president Abdul Rahman Al Owais.

He claimed the deal shows the unity within the Emirates in terms of sport and other sectors.

“Having such great institutions and companies support the School Olympics programme is proof of how important sport is becoming to our nation and society and how strong the relationship between sports and other sectors really is,” said Al Owais.

Last year’s School Olympics in the UAE, an event launched after the success of London 2012, was hailed as a great triumph.

Pupils aged between nine and 12 got involved in the event, where they competed in gymnastics, athletics, swimming, archery and fencing, with the finals of the competition attracting around 1,000 youngsters from 10 educational zones across the UAE.

It was revealed after the 2014 event that taekwondo and judo would be added to the 2015 competition.

The lucrative sponsorship agreement comes after Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and Prime Minister of the UAE gave a Dh35 million (£6.5 million/$9.5 million/€9 million) grant to the UAENOC in order for them to complete construction on their new headquarters in Dubai locality Al Nahda. 

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