MILAN - AC Milan has opened headquarters in Dubai to reinforce its ties with key partners in the Middle East while tapping into commercial opportunities in the area, the Italian soccer club said on Monday.

The Gulf region is increasingly important for global soccer, with oil-rich nations such as the UAE and Qatar having bought top-level clubs such as Paris St Germain in France and Britain's Manchester City.

Star players like Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo play in Saudi Arabia and Qatar hosted the men's World Cup last year.

AC Milan had announced last year plans to open the office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying it had 2.5 million fans in the Middle East area.

The UAE is home to AC Milan's main partner and Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates airline - a sponsor since 2007 - whose logo has been emblazoned on the shirts worn by their players since 2010.

The opening is a further step in the development of the club under the leadership of U.S. investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which acquired the seven-times European Cup champions in 2022 in a 1.2 billion euro ($1.28 billion) deal.

The "Rossoneri" sit third in Italy's Serie A standings on 23 points after squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Lecce on Saturday. They last won the league title in 2022.

($1 = 0.9362 euros)

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, writing by Federico Maccioni, editing by Ed Osmond)