Emirati-linked firms’ ownership of Manchester land ‘up 39%’ in ten years
Source: The Guardian ·
Economic ties face scrutiny after scandal over Manchester City’s financial rules‘That’s the way the city works’: how the UAE changed the face of Andy Burnham’s ManchesterEmirati-linked companies own almost 40% more land in Greater Manchester than a decade ago, Guardian analysis reveals, as the city’s economic ties face scrutiny after Manchester City’s financial rules scandal.The number of land…
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Emirati-linked companies own almost 40% more land in Greater Manchester than a decade ago, Guardian analysis reveals, as the city’s economic ties face scrutiny after Manchester City’s financial rules scandal. The number of land titles in Greater Manchester owned by United Arab Emirates-linked companies increased from 51 in 2016 to 168 in 2026, equivalent to a 39% rise in the total area owned in a decade, from 73 to 101 hectares (180 to 250 acres). Among them, there are at least 34 land titles currently owned by Manchester City FC’s owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan through one of his companies. That includes the Etihad Stadium, as well as properties in Ancoats and New Islington, among others. In total, two-thirds of the Emirati-owned land in Greater Manchester as of 2026 was owned by one of Mansour’s companies. Andy Burnham has faced weeks of scrutiny over the Manchester City FC cheating scandal after he appeared to initially sympathise with City’s owners, who he described as…