(FILES) An aerial view shows The Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City football club, in Manchester, north-west England on September 30, 2026. Since Manchester City's takeover by deep-pocketed Abu Dhabi investors in 2008, long-neglected districts lying between the stadium and the city centre have become symbols of the northern city's rebirth. The area's transformation reflects the growing influence of Manchester City and its owner, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family. The partnership is centred on Manchester Life, a property company created jointly between ADUG and the council in 2014, but it has drawn criticism over transparency and profit distribution. In a 2024 study, researchers from the University of Sheffield argued the arrangement primarily enabled the ADUG group to lock in rising land values. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)