Buy This Dubai Mansion, Get A Rolls-Royce, A Ferrari And A Harley Too

The Wall Street Journal

The 14,000-square-foot home on the Palm Jumeirah is asking $32.67 million.

An amenity-laden mansion on the Palm Jumeirah, a palm tree-shaped archipelago in Dubai, is slated to come on the market for $32.67 million.

With three kitchens and three home cinemas, the mansion spans roughly 14,000 square feet. Its amenities include a Champagne vault, a vodka bar and a giant candy wall, according to listing agent Leigh Borg of Gulf Sotheby’s International Realty. The buyer of the five-bedroom house will also get a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari and a custom-made Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as well as an unusual art collection that includes a life-size figure from the movie “Transformers” and a chrome crocodile by the sculptor Richard Orlinksi. A custom gorilla sculpture is positioned at the home’s entrance.

“I wanted to blow people’s minds when they visit me,” said the owner, Michael Alibhai, who runs a company that designs and manufactures clothes for European fashion brands such as Zara. Mr. Alibhai, 43, is from Sweden but moved to the United Arab Emirates roughly 20 years ago for business reasons.

The Palm Jumeirah.

PHOTO: KARIM SAHIB/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

While he originally planned to live in the Palm Jumeirah property himself, Mr. Alibhai said the Covid-19 pandemic changed his mind and he intends to move back to Sweden to be closer to his mother, brother and grandparents. “I have been forced to reconsider my life due to the Covid-19,” he said. “I have been missing out on valuable moments in life with family.”

The Palm Jumeirah was built in the Persian Gulf in the 2000s using reclaimed land. Developer Nakheel built high-rise condos and hotels there, but also sold plots of land that could be developed for custom homes. Mr. Borg said home prices on the Palm top out at around $50 million.

Mr. Alibhai bought this beachfront property in 2011, he said, but wouldn’t disclose how much he paid for it. He spent roughly six years on design, permitting and construction of the house, continuously tweaking it as he went and taking inspiration from elaborate mansions in affluent U.S. enclaves such as Beverly Hills and Bel-Air. In particular, the house bears similarities to a Bel-Air megamansion built by the handbag entrepreneur Bruce Makowsky, which sold last year for $94 million. Mr. Alibhai said he saw images of the Makowsky property before his house was completed, and borrowed some ideas on final design details.

A Dubai Home Channels L.A.

Drawing inspiration from American megamansions, the house comes with three movie theaters and an art collection.



The home is one of the most expensive on the market in the area.


A newly built, contemporary house in Dubai is coming on the market for $32.67 million. A sculpture of a gorilla is positioned at the entrance.


The house was built by Michael Alibhai, a Swede who runs a clothing company.


The house spans about 14,000 square feet, with custom furniture by designers including Fendi, Bentley and Minotti.


The home is located on the Palm Jumeirah, a palm tree-shaped archipelago in Dubai.


The house comes with a large art collection, including action figures inspired by the “Transformers” films.


The bar.


The property sits directly on the Persian Gulf.


The kitchen.


There are five bedrooms.


A closet.


Mr. Alibhai is selling the house because he plans to move back to Sweden to be closer to family, he said.


A bathroom.


The property’s design was inspired in part by spec homes in Los Angeles.


A bathtub with a view.


A customized Harley-Davidson serves as an art piece.


The office.


The indoor movie theater.


The gym.


An outdoor movie theater.


The swimming pool.


A view of the property at night.
A newly built, contemporary house in Dubai is coming on the market for $32.67 million. A sculpture of a gorilla is positioned at the entrance.
GULF SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

“I spared no expense building this home,” Mr. Alibhai. “I simply splashed out millions on things that can sometimes even not be noticed. Every single marble is handpicked by myself.” He said the cost of building the house was roughly the same as the listing price.

The property has three home theaters, including an outdoor pop-up theater on hydraulics, an indoor theater and a rooftop cinema. Filled with custom Italian furniture from designers like Fendi, Bentley and Minotti, the house also has a spa, a fitness center, a glass-tile infinity pool and a rooftop Jacuzzi.

The Harley-Davidson included with the home was customized with hydraulics and LEDs “to make it into an art piece,” Mr. Alibhai said.

A Bel-Air home built by handbag entrepreneur Bruce Makowsky, which Mr. Alibhai said he drew inspiration from for this project.

PHOTO: JAE C. HONG/ASSOCIATED PRESS

He is selling into an uncertain market. Sellers on the Palm have faced headwinds in recent years due to low oil prices, weaker currencies in nearby countries and political turmoil in the Middle East. A glut of high-end housing has also put downward pressure on prices. A report by local real-estate firm Asteco showed that prices for Dubai villas were down by about 11% year over year in the second quarter of 2020.

But Mr. Borg said the pandemic has begun to give the market on the Palm a boost, as wealthy locals re-evaluate their lifestyles and search for more space.

As for Mr. Alibhai, he said he plans to build a similar home back in Europe. “I do intend to make a similar villa back home in Sweden instead, using all my knowledge acquired and talent,” he said.