After Ronaldo, Neymar scores $54 million penthouse in Dubai
The Brazilian soccer player is the latest athlete to acquire property in the UAE’s largest city.
Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Junior has bought a luxury property in Dubai, a local developer announced on Monday, after the star signed with a Saudi team.
Binghatti said that Neymar purchased a home in its Bugatti Residences, calling the acquisition a “landmark moment for Dubai’s most exclusive address.”
Brazilian Football Player Neymar Buys 200M Dirham Bugatti Penthouse!
— MoneyDubai (@MoneyDubai_ae) November 18, 2024
• Dubai's Bugatti Residences mark the world's first Bugatti-branded project
• UAE's luxury real estate draws global wealth and stars
• Features include a private Riviera-inspired beach and in-unit car… pic.twitter.com/OQwJAMnE1f
The oddly shaped building is located in Dubai’s Business Bay, a business district just south of downtown. Neymar purchased a penthouse worth 200 million Emirati dirhams ($54 million) in the development’s Sky Mansion collection. The lavish penthouse includes a private pool as well as an elevator that can bring vehicles up to the unit, according to local media.
The Bugatti Residences was jointly developed by Binghatti and the French luxury automobile manufacturer Bugatti.
Neymar plays in neighboring Saudi Arabia’s soccer league, having transferred to the Riyadh-based Al Hilal club from Paris St. Germain last year in a reported $300 million deal. Neymar was part of a wave of top international players to join the Saudi league last year that also included Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
A number of star athletes have purchased property in Dubai in recent years. Ronaldo bought a 25 million-euro ($26.5 million) mansion on the Jumeirah Bay island in June, while tennis great Roger Federer purchased a $23 million penthouse in the city in 2020. In 2008, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gifted an entire island off the coast of the city to German race car driver Michael Schumacher. British power couple David and Victoria Beckham bought a villa in Dubai back in 2002, according to reports.
Dubai’s reputation for luxury and entertainment with lack of an income tax makes it attractive for the wealthy.
Like Saudi Arabia, the UAE has strong sports ambitions and is seeking to become an industry hub. Abu Dhabi began hosting preseason National Basketball Association in 2022 as part of a partnership between the UAE and the North American League. Abu Dhabi started hosting Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts fights in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic
Royal family member Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought British soccer team Manchester City in 2008.
