His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Honorary President of the United Arab Emirates Football Association and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke unveiled the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 Official Emblem this morning at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 presented by TOYOTA will take place in Abu Dhabi from 9-19 December 2009 and the winning team of the current UFL (UAE Football League) season will be invited to compete alongside the six continental club champions at the tournament.* The seven teams will compete over eight matches for a prize fund of USD 16.5 million, with the winners earning $5 million USD.

"We are very much looking forward to the next two years in the United Arab Emirates," said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. "Football in the country is hugely popular and these are exciting times for the UAE FA. UAE teams will take part in two FIFA World Cups at U-17 and U-20 level in 2009, whilst at club level this has been the first season of the new Professional League."

The matches will be played in Abu Dhabi's biggest stadiums, Zayed Sports City Stadium (approximately 50,000 capacity) and Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium (approximately 42,000 capacity), both of which are currently undergoing extensive refurbishment in preparation for the tournament.

The newly unveiled FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 Official Emblem features authentic Arabic calligraphy of the words The Emirates contained within a dome of red and orange hues to symbolically represent the combination of football with the warmth of the Arabian sun and the nation's celebrated heritage. The Emblem will be the iconic symbol of the tournament and will dress the host venues and appear on advertising and marketing materials in the UAE and across the globe, as well as on all official tournament merchandise.

His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: "The UAE and Abu Dhabi look forward to welcoming the greatest clubs from every continent to our home. As hosts, our ambition is that one of its legacies will be an even greater amount of youth participation in football, inspired by the skill and athleticism of the teams and the excitement that this world-class event will bring."

The first team to qualify will be from CONCACAF at the end of April. The O League champions from Oceania follow on 3 May, with the UEFA Champions League final on 27 May. The South American champions will be crowned on 8 July and the final two teams will qualify via the AFC Champions League and CAF Champions League in early November. If a club from the UAE wins the AFC Champions League, the next highest placed non-UAE club of this competition will also qualify, replacing the UFL champion.