Emirati-linked companies' ownership of land in Greater Manchester has increased by 39% over the past decade, The Guardian reported after analysis of property records. The number of land titles owned by United Arab Emirates-linked firms rose from 51 in 2016 to 168 in 2026, with the total area expanding from 73 to 101 hectares during this period. The findings have intensified scrutiny of the city's economic ties to the UAE as Manchester City Football Club faces investigation for breaching financial rules under its Emirati ownership.
Two-thirds of the Emirati-owned land in Greater Manchester belongs to companies controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the club's owner. His holdings include the Etihad Stadium, plus properties in Ancoats and New Islington. Beyond Mansour's portfolio, the Abu Dhabi government owns at least 15 land titles, mostly acquired through the purchase of Circle Health Group, which operates hospitals including Alexandra in Cheadle, Highfield in Rochdale and Beaumont in Bolton. Other significant Emirati investors include Dr Ali Saeed Al Ameri, a Gulf oil executive, and property developer Mohammed Ahmad Aldallal, who demolished Oldham's historic Grand Theatre last year to build an 11-storey apartment block.
The growth in Emirati land ownership reflects broader foreign investment trends in the region. The Office for National Statistics said total foreign investment in Greater Manchester increased by 25% between 2015 and 2024. Latest ONS data showed the north-west region received the highest net foreign investment in 2024 of any area outside London, with Greater Manchester attracting almost £2bn from overseas entities that year. However, UAE investment remains modest at a national level: the Office for National Statistics reported that foreign direct investment from the United Arab Emirates accounted for just 0.3% of all foreign investments in the UK at the end of 2024.
Greater Manchester's public sector has spent £84.4m with UAE-owned firms between 2016 and 2026, according to analysis by the public sector market intelligence firm Tussell. Of this, 85% was NHS spending on Circle Health Group. Manchester city council spent £6.3m with UAE-backed companies, with more than half going to Manchester City Football Club. Prof Jonathan Silver from the University of Sheffield warned that the growing concentration of Emirati ownership raised "major concerns about the fragility of the 'Manchester model' and its reliance on attracting flows of international finance, whatever the cost". Manchester city council leader Garry Bridges defended the investment, saying the city was "in better shape now" than in the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in regenerated areas like Ancoats.
For savers, borrowers and business owners in Greater Manchester, the city's economic growth has become increasingly dependent on overseas capital from a single nation with comparatively small total investment in the UK overall.