The NBA resorted to a Middle East partner to help strengthen its budding in-season event. The league said Thursday that Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, earned naming rights for the NBA Cup and would have a noticeable presence throughout the regular season and playoffs.

Terms for the multiyear arrangement were not released, but the marketing contract is another important step in the connection between the NBA and the United Arab Emirates—and between American sports leagues and Middle East investors and partners. The NBA held exhibition games in Abu Dhabi each of the past two preseasons.

The NBA launched its first in-season competition this year, featuring special edition courts, “city”-themed uniforms, and the semifinals and finals presented in Las Vegas. While there could be format adjustments, the tournament logo will contain Emirates, as will in-arena signage during the semifinals and finals, the league said in a news release.

As part of the contract, beginning with the All-Star Game on Feb. 18, all NBA referees will wear a jersey patch with the Emirates emblem, a first for the league. WNBA and G League referees will wear a similar patch beginning next season. The Emirates branding will also be visible on nationally televised games through virtual signage and on top of the backboards.

The state-owned airline has been active in the sports space since its foundation nearly 40 years ago. It sponsors European soccer clubs AC Milan, Real Madrid, and Arsenal, among others, as well as three major tennis championships—the U.S. Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open—and various golf, rugby, cricket, and horse racing events.

“The NBA is a valuable addition to our sponsorship portfolio as it allows us to connect with a vast global fanbase, including in the U.S., where the game is an integral part of the country’s sports culture,” Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates Group, said in a statement.

A recent surge of investment from Middle Eastern governments, organizations, and sovereign wealth funds has supplied an injection of money, bolstering clubs and leagues in various sports, including soccer, golf, and tennis. But it has also garnered scrutiny and generated debate over sportswashing, the attempt to use sports to divert from human rights abuses.

The NBA has been seeking to make inroads in the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to hosting four preseason games over the past two years, the NBA opened a store on Yas Island and is helping run specialist basketball schools in Dubai. The NBA has been televised in the UAE for more than 30 years, and the league says its social media platforms have more than 6.2 million fans from the Middle East.

The NBA was also the first major U.S.-based sports organization to modify its regulations to allow investment by sovereign wealth funds. Last year, the Qatar Investment Authority took a 5 percent investment in Washington-based Monumental Sports, whose holdings include the NBA’s Wizards, the NHL’s Capitals, and the WNBA’s Mystics.