The royal family of Abu Dhabi, Al Nahyan, made the most expensive million-pound investment in the history of London with the purchase of a unique residence in Holland Park. The clan that governs Abu Dhabi acquired a luxurious home valued at £61.5 million (€73 million) that features the typical amenities for one of the richest families in the world.
This is not the first time the famous clan has made such an investment. The ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had already acquired another mansion for £65 million (€78 million) in Chelsea, close to the site of the new property, during 2023.
Abu Dhabi challenges million-pound investments in London.
Luxury property investments saw a drastic decline in London, making the acquisition of this property by the royal family of Abu Dhabi a challenge to the growth of this type of business. As confirmed by the international press, this investment was only surpassed by the purchase of a mansion in Chelsea by American Tom Ford, who acquired the residence for over 80 million pounds (96 million euros).
The details of this residence are kept under the utmost secrecy, and it is said that the intermediary was the company Hamptons. Thus, the purchase of this house implies a rebound in investments of this kind in England that, under the new government regime, maintains some legislations such as the increase in stamp duty on the purchase of second residences.
The royal family of Abu Dhabi: the other million-dollar investments around the world.
The Al Nahyan clan, currently led by Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has a wealth of 305 billion dollars (and discretionary access to 1.2 trillion in public funds, as reported by some specialized media). In addition to the aforementioned residence, this family also owns other properties around the world that are well known or are also hidden.
Among the list of the family’s eccentric investments is a 635-hectare hunting estate in Almonaster la Real. The Al Nahyans also manage the capital of the mining group Minas Aguas Teñidas SA (Matsa) and own the company Agrícolas del Jardín SA, which has 964 hectares. The list of their assets also includes the presidential palace, private jets, a football club, and oil reserves, which have practically made them the owners of the emirate since 1973.
The Abu Dhabi empire that conquers the British.
British press reported that the former emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, maintained a “secret” real estate empire worth over 7 billion euros in London and the UK. Before his death in 2022, it was confirmed that the emir owned the site where Queen Elizabeth II was born, 17 Bruton Street, which now houses a Chinese restaurant, as well as the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge.
The member of the richest family in the world also owns other tourist attractions in London such as Berkeley Square House, home to the world’s most famous seafood restaurant, Sexy Fish in Mayfair, a nine-story luxury apartment building, One Kensington Gardens, and the Time Life building on New Bond Street. As confirmed by The Guardian, the emir of the al-Nahyan clan has on his list Ascot Place, built in the 18th century, near Windsor Castle and another 170 properties scattered across various locations in the UK.
