Erling Haaland’s new home in Abu Dhabi puts the Manchester City striker in a position where securing a 10-year UAE Golden Visa could be a straightforward step if he chooses to pursue it. Given his status as one of football’s biggest stars, his achievements on the pitch and his ties to an Abu Dhabi-backed club, he could also be considered for a Golden Visa through special recognition rather than relying solely on the property investment route. While there has been no official announcement that Haaland has been granted the visa, his profile makes him a natural candidate for such an opportunity. However, he has not publicly expressed any intention or ambition to pursue UAE residency.
Haaland’s new Abu Dhabi home puts a 10-year visa within reach
Haaland announced his property purchase today through a video shared by the developers, revealing that he and his father, former Manchester City player Alf-Inge Haaland, had bought homes in the Manchester City Ohana project in Abu Dhabi. The development, created in collaboration with real estate company Ohana Residences, brings the club’s branding into a luxury waterfront community on Yas Island.“Hi everyone, I’m so happy because I’m joining the Manchester City Ohana project. We will be neighbours in Abu Dhabi…I just got a house and so did my father,” Haaland said at the project’s launch event at the Etihad Arena.The development offers townhouses, duplexes, and villas with prices starting above AED 3,600,000 ($1.02 million) for an average two-bedroom townhouse. A five-bedroom waterfront villa is expected to cost approximately $2.91 million, while bespoke estates reportedly start at $9.95 million.The project also includes a Manchester City Training Academy, a City Lounge, and recreational facilities, while more than half of its master plan is dedicated to green spaces. Haaland’s exact property and purchase price have not been disclosed, but the development’s reported price range puts its residences above the UAE’s AED 2 million ($544,500) property-investment threshold.The property naturally open the door to long-term residency in the UAE, adding another potential benefit to Haaland’s latest investment. Whether a Golden Visa forms part of the package or something he chooses to pursue separately, his new Abu Dhabi home adds to his growing ties to the country.
What the UAE Golden Visa offers beyond a property purchase
The Golden Visa is a long-term UAE residency programme designed to attract investors, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, and people with exceptional talent. Under the current federal programme, eligible applicants can obtain renewable residency for 10 years without requiring a local sponsor, giving them greater independence from the employer-linked arrangements associated with conventional residency permits.The programme allows qualifying residents to live, work, study and invest in the UAE, while extending residency opportunities to their families. Its main benefits include:
- Long-term residency: A renewable 10-year permit provides greater continuity than shorter-term residence arrangements.
- Family sponsorship: Holders can obtain residence permits for their spouses, children regardless of age and parents, as well as sponsor domestic workers under applicable regulations.
- Greater independence: Residents do not need an employer or another local sponsor to maintain their Golden Visa status.
- Flexible travel: Holders can remain outside the UAE for longer than the usual six-month absence limit that applies to many other residence visas.
- An entry period for overseas applicants: Eligible applicants outside the country can receive a six-month multiple-entry visa, renewable for another six months, while completing their residency procedures.
The programme serves several different categories, including property investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, outstanding students, and exceptional talents. Each pathway has its own eligibility rules, meaning applicants do not necessarily need to purchase expensive real estate to obtain long-term residency.
How Haaland’s property purchase could qualify him
Abu Dhabi’s official guidance for real estate investors sets a minimum qualifying property value of AED 2 million ($544,500), with ownership and investment documentation required as part of the application. Applicants may combine eligible properties to reach the threshold, while mortgages through national banks can be accepted when the investor’s qualifying capital remains at least AED 2 million ($544,500).The requirements also distinguish between completed properties and off-plan purchases, which is particularly relevant for a newly launched development such as Manchester City Ohana Residences. For off-plan property, the applicant must provide a purchase agreement from an approved developer and evidence that at least AED 2 million ($544,500) has already been paid towards the property.Although the development’s homes would qualify buyers for a 10-year Golden Visa, Haaland’s exact unit, payment arrangements and application status remain undisclosed, largely because the project is still being developed.For Haaland, the property-investment route is the obvious starting point following his Abu Dhabi purchase. However, even without his new home, the UAE has an established traditional pathway for athletes to obtain a Golden Visa, meaning his achievements and standing in football could provide another route to long-term residency should he wish to pursue it.
The athlete pathway could make the property investment unnecessary
Abu Dhabi’s Golden Visa programme includes a 10-year residency category for athletes under its broader provision for outstanding talent. The official criteria focus on exceptional sporting ability and achievements, while the application process requires evidence that supports the applicant’s standing in their field.An athlete applying through Abu Dhabi’s published route must provide:
- A sporting résumé documenting achievements and experience in their discipline.
- Supporting certificates or experience letters confirming those sporting accomplishments.
- A recommendation from Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which is the key formal endorsement in the published process.
Applications submitted through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office’s online system are automatically forwarded to the sports council for nomination, while applicants can also submit through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.However, Haaland may not need to go through the usual nomination process to make a compelling case. As one of the most feared strikers of his generation and a global football superstar with a larger-than-life profile, his credentials speak for themselves. Should he wish to pursue the athlete route, his record would be difficult to overlook. To put that into context, Haaland could point to his Champions League triumph, multiple Premier League Golden Boot awards and standing among the world’s elite footballers as evidence of his sporting achievements.Crucially, the UAE’s published athlete pathway does not require the AED 2 million ($544,500) property investment threshold. Eligible athletes can instead seek residency based on their sporting credentials, subject to the relevant authority’s assessment and approval.
Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi connection adds another dimension
Haaland’s situation is particularly interesting given Manchester City’s deep-rooted ties to Abu Dhabi. The club’s majority owner, Newton Investment and Development LLC, is wholly owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister. Since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, City’s relationship with the emirate has grown considerably, and the partnership with Ohana Residences has now brought that connection into the property market.Haaland is no ordinary player in this arrangement. As one of Manchester City’s biggest stars and the face of a development carrying the club’s name, he occupies a position of enormous commercial value. It is easy to see why his new home could be viewed as more than a property purchase, particularly given the UAE’s interest in attracting some of the biggest names in global sport and entertainment. One could even imagine a purchase of this nature being accompanied by residency arrangements, although no such package has been publicly confirmed in Haaland’s case.Over the years, the UAE has attracted and welcomed prominent athletes, sporting personalities, actors, scientists and other internationally recognised figures, offering long-term residency opportunities to people whose achievements and expertise align with its ambitions. Against that backdrop, Haaland would have an exceptionally compelling case to present. His Champions League success, Premier League Golden Boot awards and status as one of the most recognisable footballers of his generation would make him a standout candidate under the country’s athlete pathway.Whether through his Abu Dhabi property or recognition of his sporting achievements, Haaland has a strong basis to explore long-term UAE residency should he wish to do so. His credentials make a persuasive case, even though no Golden Visa grant or special arrangement has been publicly announced.
