Team Abu Dhabi in First Race of Red Bull World Championship

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(ABU DHABI, U.A.E.) -- The U.A.E. capital continues to collect sports sponsorships at home and abroad from Formula 1 to Manchester City. Today came the announcement that Hannes Arch, the current world champion, has signed up to create Team Abu Dhabi and compete for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship series starting in Abu Dhabi on April 17 and 18.

Arch will fly his Edge 540 with the Abu Dhabi brand around the world and help the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) promote the city and the emirate of the same name.

The Edge 540 rolls 420-degrees per second and climbs 3700 feet per minute with Arch at the controls.

This weekend's racing is the first of a three-year deal. Abu Dhabi will host the season opening race of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship until 2011.

The series then goes on to San Diego, Windsor, Ontario, Budapest, Porto, and Barcelona, covering three continents and entertaining a television audience of more than 100 million households. 

"Our commitment to the Red Bull Air Race World Championship now goes significantly beyond the Abu Dhabi Red Bull Air Race," said Ahmed Hussain, Deputy Director General, ADTA. Team Abu Dhabi is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

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