It's all about the name

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AST Group Chairman Ali Al Taher. He feels that the project is 'about lifestyle, with well-being at the core of it.'

The latest development to bear the name of a sports figure may very well win the World Cup of branding. But, as Pele City looms, Jamie Stewart explores the challenges for FMs when trying to operate big name facilities.

Hot on the heels of F1 stars Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauder, and three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, comes Brazilian soccer legend Pele.

This may sound like a stroll through the sports section of Madame Tussaud's museum, covering the past three decades of glorious triumph, but it could just as easily represent the Dubai skyline in a few years time.

Earlier this year, a foreign investment company that based itself in Dubai launched a triumvirate of office and commercial buildings, which have gone the extra kilometre to stand out from the crowd in an ever expanding market, by branding the towers with the names of famous sports figures who made a name for themselves in their respective sport.

Many would say that the glory days have passed for these sportsmen. So seeing as sports stars once had a reputation for retiring from their chosen profession and drifting into careers as landlords of small town bars and clubs, good for the northern Europeans for seeking something a little more glamourous.

Following suit, the Pele brand license was awarded at the beginning of this month to Dubai-based AST Group by Brazil's Prime Licensing, the firm set up solely to manage worldwide licensing rights to the Pele brand. AST Group lists project management, facilities management and consulting among its disciplines.

Boris Becker, while speaking at the February launch of the snappily titled Boris Becker Business Tower, said "the city of Dubai has state-of-the-art infrastructure that matches the offerings of this tower, and the regional investment climate is founded on valid economic fundamentals."

Wise words indeed - particularly from one who is surely more at home with the phrases "out," "ace" and "the ball was in."

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