Yielding to the lure of Dubai

Dubai: They may not live here permanently, but numerous sports stars have invested in Dubai's booming property market in recent years.

Among the most high-profile of those who have put their names on the dotted line are English footballers David Beckham and Michael Owen and several other England teammates from the 2002 World Cup squad who were offered properties on the Palm when they were in Dubai for a training camp just prior to the world competition.

Owen has since then become the global ambassador for The First Group property developers. Other property owners from the England squad include Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.

Also a confirmed Dubai property owner is South African golf ace Ernie Els, the designer of the 18-hole championship golf course at Victory Heights in Dubai Sports City as well as tennis's world No 1 Roger Federer, who is said to spend more time in his home at the Marina than in Switzerland.

The Sports City development has attracted massive interest from the world's sports stars and those said to have invested include Tiger Woods, the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) and British marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe.

Double Olympic athletics gold medallist Kelly Holmes said despite reports to the contrary, she does not currently own property in the city, but has expressed interest. "I would like to but don't," she said.

Meanwhile, others said to have put down deposits in Dubai are Germany's seven-time World Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning footballer Francesco Totti, Australian golfing legend Greg Norman, who has a number of businesses here, and even Ireland's rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll.