Qatar Airways has been named the official airline sponsor of the UCI Road World Championships - Doha 2016.

The event organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) will take place against the backdrop of the Arabian Gulf and The Pearl-Qatar from October 9-16. The annual cycling race will see 1,000 racers from 75 countries compete for the title, cheered on by 30,000 fans and millions of spectators from all over the world. The competition began in 1921 and Qatar will be the first Middle East country to host it.

As the official airline sponsor of the race, Qatar Airways will fly competitors from all corners of the globe to take part in the event, while Qatar Airways Cargo will transport hundreds of high-performance road bikes to Doha.

Qatar Airways has an extensive route network with flights to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents, through the airline's home at Hamad International Airport.

The UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016 is the latest in a series of high-profile sporting events to be held in Qatar and supported by Qatar Airways.

Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Thani, chairman of the Organising Committee of the UCI Road World Championships-Doha 2016, said: "We are delighted to introduce Qatar Airways as our official airline partner for the World Championships taking place in Doha from October 9."

Ehab Amin, Qatar Airways senior vice-president (commercial) for GCC, Levant, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, added: "We are proud to be the official airline partner, bringing the UCI Road World Championships to Qatar and to become the first Middle East country hosting the annual cycling race." Qatar Airways sponsors several sports events and teams around the globe, including football club FC Barcelona, Saudi Professional League winners Al Ahli Saudi Football Club, International Premier Tennis League and Qatar Total Open, part of the Women's Tennis Association Championships.