Munich, Jan 28 (IANS): Bayern Munich agreed on a long-term sponsorship deal with the Hamad International Airport Doha (HIA), the German football champions has confirmed.

The airport operator will be from now on one of Bayern Munich 10 platinum partners. The international Airport Doha, that has opened its doors in 2014, is one of the biggest hub airports in the Gulf region and transports 30 million passengers yearly, reports Xinhua.

"I am pleased to welcome with Doha Airport a sponsor from the tourism industry. This partnership is a further step of our internationalization strategy. Part of this cooperation will be the promotion of social projects and the dialogue on social-political issues," Bayern Munich's CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in an official statement on Wednesday.

The Bundesliga front-runners spent their last consecutive six winter training camps in Doha. They returned on January 12 from the training camp to beat Hamburg 2-1 at the opener for the second-half of the Bundesliga campaign 10 days later.

Josep Guardiola's men encounter relegation threatened Hoffenheim at the 19th round of Bundesliga on January 31.