Ohana Development and City Football Group break ground at Manchester City Yas Residences by Ohana

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.

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.