Dubai Basketball begins EuroLeague with a bang

Dubai Basketball began its 2026-27 EuroLeague campaign with a one-point win over Real Madrid at Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday, giving its home crowd a finish to remember and its new partner, Mr. Eight Branded Residences, a memorable first game alongside the club.

The hosts trailed 44–38 at half-time before a 25-18 third quarter put them narrowly ahead. Real Madrid regained control late in the game, but Dubai fought back from a six-point deficit. McKinley Wright IV struck a three-pointer with 55 seconds remaining to make it 78–77, as Andrés Feliz missed Madrid’s final attempt at the rim.

The hard-fought victory rounded off a big night for Dubai Basketball and Mr. Eight Branded Residences, whose name appeared on the club’s jerseys for the first time since the Dubai-based boutique developer’s announcement as its main partner.

As the reigning ABA League champion and the first Gulf club to play in both the ABA League and EuroLeague, Dubai Basketball has more than a single victory to build upon. Founded in 2023, it’s been gaining a loyal audience – more than 100,000 spectators have attended its games at Coca-Cola Arena. Now, Mr. Eight Branded Residences reserves a place in that growing local story through a three-year agreement, while the club gains a Dubai-based partner with its own ties to Europe.

“Mr. Eight shares our ambition, our European outlook and, importantly, the same pride in representing Dubai,” said Dejan Kamenjašević, President of Dubai Basketball, when the agreement was announced on September 11.

That outlook is evident in Mr. Eight’s approach, shaped by more than 20 years of European development experience for its leadership team. It underpins an eight-project Dubai portfolio spanning Dubai Islands, Jumeirah Village Triangle and Dubai Land Residence Complex. Its Dubai Islands collection includes Le Château Piétrus, Villa del Divos, Villa del Gavi, Villa del Garda, Villa del Brunello and Villa dell’Arte, alongside Interstellar Tower in JVT and The WOW Tower in DLRC.

These projects sit within the growing market for branded residences in Dubai. The term describes more than a luxury building with a reputed name on its façade. Architecture and interiors are developed to high standards alongside amenities, resident services and building management to consistently offer a superior living experience.

Recent reports show buyers in Dubai have more branded homes to choose from than ever. In The Residence Report 2026/27, published on Monday, Knight Frank puts Dubai ahead of every other city in the world with 175 branded residence projects: 68 operating developments and 107 in the pipeline. Miami has only 73 and London 30. Hotel names still dominate operating branded residences globally, but Knight Frank expects a growing share of future supply to come from non-hotel brands.

For a boutique developer such as Mr. Eight, that growth creates an opening, which it seems to have capitalised on. According to Dubai Land Department transaction data cited by the company, its portfolio has recorded more than Dh2.5 billion in sales across 2,213 residential and commercial units as of September 2026.

Against this backdrop, the partnership between Dubai Basketball and Mr. Eight looks promising. It now gives Mr. Eight an audience well beyond property buyers, while the club gets another Dubai-based supporter for its next stage of growth.

Emils Daujats, Director of Mr. Eight Development, said the company viewed the agreement as more than a conventional sponsorship: “For us, this is a chance to stand beside a club we support ourselves and take pride in as residents of Dubai.”

A one-point win over Real Madrid last week and a stunning 94-87 victory over FC Barcelona last night have given this partnership an opening few could have imagined.

Over the next three seasons, joint activities could bring fans closer to the players, introduce more families to game nights at Coca-Cola Arena and carry the club’s growing presence into the wider community while providing Mr. Eight greater exposure and visibility.

In association with Mr. Eight Branded Residences