Real Madrid Will Remove Christian Cross from Logo in Middle East Clothing Deal

Real Madrid's club crest will be altered to remove the Christian cross on clothing items sold in many parts of the Middle East, as reported by Reuters (via Marca). 

A new manufacturing deal with Marka, a company based in the United Arab Emirates, will see the small cross at the top of the badge disappear in order to appease fans and sponsors within the region. 

Marka vice-chairman Khaled al-Mheiri told Reuters (via Marca), "we have to be sensitive towards other parts of the Gulf that are quite sensitive to products that hold the cross."

In each of the six nations in which manufacturing and distribution will be handled by Marka—UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman—the majority of the population is Muslim.

The decision is not an unprecedented one. Real previously removed the Christian cross in 2014 for shirts used by the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, one of the club's principle sponsors.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

In both instances, the crest change may be to help ensure the club conforms with government requirements. The UAE imposes restrictions on "the public distribution of non-Islamic religious literature," as per the US State Department.

Real boast plenty of ties in the region, with the Emirates airline, based in Dubai, its main shirt sponsor. This success in the Middle East was highlighted by the seven per cent increase in their revenue for 2015-16, as reported back in October 2016 by Ed Malyon for the Mirror. The La Liga leaders' total revenue for the financial year was £561 million.

The crest change will not include official Real jerseys, as per Reuters (via Marca).