Manchester City players enjoy Abu Dhabi's attractions in new tourism campaign

Manchester City’s star players are the latest famous faces to feature in an Abu Dhabi tourism campaign.

Six first team players — Sergio Gomez, Erling Haaland, Rico Lewis, Riyad Mahrez, Stefan Ortega and Cole Palmer — star in a one-minute, 15-second video highlighting Abu Dhabi’s relaxing and adrenalin-filled activities.

Titled Pace is Everything, the video aims to highlight how the capital has activities to suit every kind of visitor, from relaxing in the sun and playing a round of golf like Haaland does in the clip, to strapping on a life jacket and heading out on a jet ski as Mahrez, Gomez and Ortega do. Palmer and Lewis, meanwhile, are shown enjoying the sunshine and snapping pictures on the beach. The video ends with all players coming together to enjoy Arabic coffee in a traditional majlis-style set-up on the beach.

The campaign made its social media debut on Saturday as Manchester City took on Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, winning 4-1.

Before kick-off, the Experience Abu Dhabi logo took over the centre circle of the pitch, while the video played on the big screen and inside hospitality suites across the stadium.

The campaign continues the partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi and Manchester City, which is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

The players are not the first famous faces to star in a tourism campaign for Abu Dhabi. In 2021, US comedian and actor Kevin Hart was named as Yas Island’s first Chief Island Officer, tasked with trying out and “Hartifying” the island’s many attractions.

Hollywood action man John Cena has also starred in a Visit Abu Dhabi campaign, with a video showing him having a full-throttled adventure in the UAE capital.