Abu Dhabi has unveiled plans for an integrated sports, education and residential development called ZPTM Abu Dhabi, developed through a partnership between JT7Group, Abu Dhabi National Investment and Development (ADID) and Riverside Management Group (RMG). Liverpool and Scotland football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish has been brought on board as the project's sporting vision advisor.
The masterplan calls for roughly 3,700 homes in total. About 1,700 of these — apartments, semi-detached villas and villas — will be open to both Emirati and international buyers, while close to 2,000 units are being set aside specifically for Emirati families.
Beyond housing, the site is designed around multi-sport training venues, a dedicated campus for elite athletes, medical and recovery facilities, an esports centre and a wellness-focused hotel, along with performance-testing infrastructure. Planners have also floated the idea of a stadium with a multipurpose dome. A boarding school focused on sport is being targeted to open in 2029, aimed at nurturing young athletes alongside their academic education.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, pending the usual approvals, with the full development rolled out in phases over three to five years and targeted for completion by 2032.
Dalglish, who won three European Cups as a player and later managed Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Celtic, said sport "can change lives when young people have the right place to learn and grow." His involvement adds a recognisable sporting name to a project that fits a broader pattern in Abu Dhabi, where large-scale sports and lifestyle developments have increasingly been paired with housing aimed at both local families and international buyers.