The 2.4-metre illuminated sculpture was unveiled at Arsenal‘s Emirates Stadium in London. It marks two decades of partnership between the club and Emirates, now extended through to 2033.
Aviation parts recast as club identity
A team of 15 engineers, designers, mechanics, technicians and painters built the sculpture over 34 days in Dubai. Emirates Engineering’s Aircraft Material Upcycling team led the project entirely in-house. The finished piece was then flown to London aboard an Emirates SkyCargo freighter before installation at the stadium.
Every element of the crest draws on upcycled parts from Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. An A380 wheel hub forms the cannon wheel. A titanium bleed air duct was reshaped into the barrel. Lightweight composite floor panels build the cannon body itself.
A Boeing 777 aluminium fuselage skin forms the shield face. Cargo tracks provide the outer edge and internal structure. Cargo floor panels and roller components were repurposed throughout the rest of the installation. The Arsenal lettering was shaped from aircraft windows and fitted with warm white lighting, while additional lighting beneath the plinth illuminates the black tile base.
What does the deal mean for investors?
The unveiling gives Emirates a visible proof point in brand-led differentiation. It also reinforces a sustainability narrative built around reuse of high-value aircraft materials rather than disposal. Emirates has highlighted its broader retrofit programme in Dubai, where the airline has completed work on 100 aircraft under a US$5 billion cabin overhaul initiative.
Emirates has turned aircraft engineering into a brand asset with genuine global reach — and the Arsenal crest makes that argument in physical, permanent form.
For Arsenal, the installation ties a modern sponsorship to the club’s historic identity. The cannon remains central to the Gunners’ visual brand. Emirates described the sculpture as a reflection of both organisations’ shared values of precision, discipline and ambition.
Sir Tim Clark, Emirates Airline President, said the work was created to honour the 20th anniversary of the partnership. Richard Garlick, Arsenal’s chief executive, welcomed the tribute and the partnership’s continued momentum.
Engineering depth as a commercial signal
For institutional observers, the project carries a clear commercial logic. Emirates is using a premium sports sponsorship to demonstrate operational capability, asset reuse, and brand durability in a single installation. That positions a football tie-up as a broader statement about engineering depth and strategic identity.
The airline’s ability to design, build and transport such a piece — entirely through internal teams — signals supply-chain confidence and technical self-sufficiency. Those qualities matter to partners, regulators and investors alike.
Executives and investors should watch whether Emirates deploys similar upcycled installations across other major sponsorship markets, which would extend this sustainability-and-brand strategy well beyond London.
Quick answers
The sculpture uses upcycled parts from Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, including an A380 wheel hub, a titanium bleed air duct, aluminium fuselage skin, cargo tracks, and composite floor panels.
Emirates Engineering’s Aircraft Material Upcycling team built the 2.4-metre sculpture over 34 days in Dubai, using a team of 15 engineers, designers, mechanics, technicians and painters.
Emirates and Arsenal have been partners for 20 years, with the agreement now extended through to 2033.
