“I’m so happy to tell you I’m joining the Ohana Manchester City project and we will be neighbours in Abu Dhabi. I just got a house and so did my father.”
The development on Yas Island is tied to a partnership between the Premier League club and Ohana Development, featuring branding, a dedicated City Lounge, and a Manchester City Training Academy across a 1.67 million-square-metre complex.
Erling Haaland and Manchester City Stars Join Yas Island Real Estate Project
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland confirmed his purchase during a launch event held at the Etihad Stadium, appearing alongside club executives in promotional material for the £3 billion development. Property ownership in the complex grants buyers an automatic ten-year United Arab Emirates visa under local investment regulations. Other current and former players featured in the marketing campaign include Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, and former forward Omar Marmoush, who has since transferred to Tottenham Hotspur, according to The Sun. Haaland’s father, former City player Alf-Inge Haaland, 53, also bought a property in the development and appeared live on stage during the launch.
Manager Pep Guardiola takes center stage as the official brand ambassador for the project. Husein Salem, chief executive of Ohana Development, noted that Guardiola’s involvement adds a meaningful dimension to the community initiative. The partnership between the club and the real estate firm was officially announced on the club’s website in September.
Timing and Financial Scrutiny Surrounding the Abu Dhabi Venture
The real estate launch coincides with a period of intense scrutiny for Manchester City. An independent Premier League panel previously found the club guilty of artificially inflating its commercial revenue by nearly £900 million through unverified sponsorship deals between 2009 and 2018. City has appealed the verdict, maintaining that it possesses irrefutable evidence to prove its innocence.
The club is majority-owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan via the Abu Dhabi United Group. Alongside the Yas Island real estate project, the investment firm’s local holdings include the £365 million Co-op Live Arena in east Manchester.
Rugby Authorities Respond to Manchester City-Style Concerns
Rugby chiefs are looking to avoid a Manchester City-style scandal within the English game by drafting strict new regulations that incorporate restrictions on foreign-state ownership of clubs, as reported by the Telegraph.
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