The brand master

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Robin Lohmann.

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ACI’s future project, the Dubai Star at the Jumeirah Lakes Towers.

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Michael Schumacher.

Robin Lohmann is a man in a hurry. No sooner have we finished lunch then he turns to racing legend Niki Lauda for a quiet word. "I have another idea. We can discuss it after pudding is served," says Lohmann.

The chances are it is another cracking idea - right now, Lohmann is on a roll. The boss of German-owned ACI has added spice to the UAE's property market, by putting branded buildings onto the market. And not just any brand - in the past month, Lohmann has persuaded sporting legends Michael Schumacher, Nikki Lauda and Boris Becker to lend their names to his projects. Early next year, the Michael Schumacher Business Avenue will be launched in Dubai - hot on the heels on Niki Lauda Twin Towers and Boris Becker Tower.

"I nearly got burnt when I first started out and Niki nearly got burnt when he drove Formula One cars, so we have a lot in common," jokes Lohmann, adding: "It is something different, something new and something that I think will make our investors a lot of money."

His track record suggests he is more than right. In less than two years of trading in Dubai, ACI has revenues topping the billion dollar mark. So far the company has launched Victory Bay and Sami Tower in Dubai's Business Bay, Dubai Star in Jumeirah Lake Towers and Wings of Arabia in Dubailand. With his sports-branded developments now off the mark, car-branded buildings are on the drawing board, again in new projects based mostly in Dubai.

"It is simple. We develop and we flip. We make people money. There is a lot of talk about the property market not being sustainable but those people talking that way - well, they don't know what they are talking about. There are still millions of people forecast to move to Dubai in the coming years. They all need somewhere to live and work. Prices will keep rising and I actually think we can double our turnover next year," says a confident Lohmann, adding: "As for the idea of branded buildings, well, again it is a simple equation. What would an investor pay more for - No.1 Business Avenue or No.1 Michael Schumacher Business Avenue?"

The real coup for German-born Lohmann has been in persuading Lauda and friends to join his property empire. Lauda's son Lukas is a friend of Lohmann, through whom the plan for Niki Lauda Twin Towers was first pitched.

Lauda liked what he saw and very quickly signed up. "I've never seen anything like Dubai - the pace of development here is just amazing, and everything is so much bigger every time I come here," says former F1 champion Lauda.

"Robin approached me with this idea and I was very impressed. The property market here is booming so it is nice to be a part of it in some way. I don't think you can find this kind of pace and energy anywhere else in the world," he adds.

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