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Ohana Development and Manchester City have officially broken ground at the site of Manchester City Yas Residences by Ohana during a ceremony held at the development’s newly opened Experience Centre on Yas Canal, Abu Dhabi, in the attendance of officials from the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) alongside senior executives from Ohana Development and City Football Group.
Overlooking the Yas Canal, the project is the world’s first Manchester City-branded residential community and aims to create a complete neighbourhood centred around the values of the football club, with a strong focus on wellness, sport, performance and an elevated approach to everyday living.
Husein Salem, CEO of Ohana Development, said the vision for the community was a destination where he would want his own family to live, combining distinctive design, quality and what he describes as attainable luxury, in a strategic location.
“The breaking ground ceremony is a major milestone because it represents the first tangible step in bringing the project to life,” said Salem. “It is the transformation from just vision, ideas, and planning into real-life execution. This community is the first in the world to be branded by Manchester City. And I believe it will not only be a major destination at Yas Canal but also an important addition to Yas Island and Abu Dhabi’s growing real estate landscape.”
For City Football Group CEO Ferran Soriano, the partnership with Ohana was a natural fit, with both organisations sharing a focus on performance, innovation and progress.
“We’re a champion team, we design and build to win,” he said. “We look for performance and progress and innovation. We needed to do this with a company, in a place that looks for the same things. And that’s what we found. So, this place is going to reflect what Manchester City is for the people who will live here on a daily basis.”
Unprecedented demand
The scale of interest in the project was demonstrated even before construction began. Ohana Development, known for its attainable luxury residential projects and high-profile partnerships with brands including ELIE SAAB and Jacob & Co., launched Manchester City Yas Residences by Ohana to unprecedented demand, achieving Dh6 billion worth of sales in just 72 hours.
The groundbreaking therefore represents an important next step, moving the project from a highly successful launch phase into actual development. It also marks the beginning of what is expected to be a significant addition to the increasingly sophisticated residential offering on Yas Canal and across Abu Dhabi.
Immersive Experience Centre
For prospective buyers and investors, the newly opened experience centre provides an opportunity to look beyond the initial concept and experience the project in greater detail. An immersive audio-visual room brings the Manchester City partnership and lifestyle concept to life, while detailed models showcase the individual residences and give visitors a clearer understanding of the scale and design of the community.
The gated waterfront community spans 1.67 million square metres, with more than 55 per cent of the development dedicated to green spaces and landscaped areas.
Sport and wellness are central to the design, with planned amenities including a Manchester City training academy, recovery-led wellness facilities, fitness centres, a marina sports club, a canal-front promenade, City Lounge and City Café. The concept reflects a growing shift in luxury residential developments, where buyers are increasingly looking beyond the traditional combination of location, views and high-end finishes, and instead focus on lifestyle.
The Manchester City association adds another dimension, bringing the identity and expertise of one of the world’s most recognisable football clubs into the residential environment.
Investment potential
With the project officially under construction and record pre-sales achieved, the focus for Ohana moves towards delivery.
Ohana Development COO Mustafa El Sammak explained the ambition goes well beyond simply handing over keys to homeowners. “It’s making sure that the community is delivered with all aspects of living, from the Manchester City training academy to advanced fitness centres, alongside lifestyle and wellness experiences, so that the entire project is a destination by itself, and people can live in that well-executed living environment, which they feel as an extension of their home.”
That distinction could prove important as Abu Dhabi’s residential market continues to evolve, attracting buyers looking for a combination of investment potential, lifestyle and exclusivity.
Manchester City Yas Residences by Ohana brings together several of those trends: a globally recognised sports brand, a waterfront location, luxury residential design and an extensive focus on sport, wellness and green space.
Having moved from successful sales to breaking ground, the next stage will be turning that proposition into a functioning community, offering residents not simply a luxury home, but an entire lifestyle built around the values of Manchester City, with Ohana Development’s focus on quality, well-being and community living.
In association with Ohana Development
