The rise of Abu Dhabi power broker Khaldoon al-Mubarak | Financial Times:
Shortly after Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a senior member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, stunned English football in 2008 by acquiring Manchester City for £150m, nervousness set in among the emirate’s top brass.
Sulaiman al-Fahim, the flamboyant Emirati who had brokered the sale, was bragging about Sheikh Mansour’s deep pockets while himself living the stereotypical playboy life, driving flashy sports cars and socialising with celebrities including Pamela Anderson of Baywatch fame. As the headlines mounted, Mr Fahim was sidelined as Abu Dhabi sought to shift the narrative.
A new team was brought in to steady the ship, led by Khaldoon al-Mubarak, a rising star at the centre of the emirate’s power structure who had football club chairman added to his growing portfolio of responsibilities.
In the decade since, Manchester City has been transformed into a slick, trophy-winning club at the centre of a global footballing franchise that has become the world’s most valuable sports group.
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Khaldoon al-Mubarak was only 33 when the original Manchester City deal was done, but he was already one of the most powerful figures in the emirate © FT montage / Reuters |
Shortly after Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a senior member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, stunned English football in 2008 by acquiring Manchester City for £150m, nervousness set in among the emirate’s top brass.
Sulaiman al-Fahim, the flamboyant Emirati who had brokered the sale, was bragging about Sheikh Mansour’s deep pockets while himself living the stereotypical playboy life, driving flashy sports cars and socialising with celebrities including Pamela Anderson of Baywatch fame. As the headlines mounted, Mr Fahim was sidelined as Abu Dhabi sought to shift the narrative.
A new team was brought in to steady the ship, led by Khaldoon al-Mubarak, a rising star at the centre of the emirate’s power structure who had football club chairman added to his growing portfolio of responsibilities.
In the decade since, Manchester City has been transformed into a slick, trophy-winning club at the centre of a global footballing franchise that has become the world’s most valuable sports group.
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