Three international celebrities to expand business ventures in Abu Dhabi 

Three global celebrities today signed Letters of Commitment to establish their respective businesses in Abu Dhabi, including Meditation guru Deepak Chopra, Manchester United icon Patrice Evra and NBA Los Angeles Lakers legend Metta World Peace. The three are in the UAE capital as part of Maven Global Access’ business expansion programme, Access Abu Dhabi, supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

The signings took place at Abu Dhabi Finance Week’s Celebrity Entrepreneur World Cup, an event headlined by the three celebrities and co-hosted by Shark Tank star, Kevin O’Leary and Maven Global Access’ Sarah Omolewu. Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), an international financial centre in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi Finance Week brings together a global audience of decision-makers and industry leaders to accelerate the transformation of finance in the emirate.

Maven Global Access’ Access Abu Dhabi programme is supporting the three celebrities to fast-track their expansion to Abu Dhabi. Deepak Chopra will establish a strong foothold in Abu Dhabi’s Web3 ecosystem with his ChopraVerse, a first-of-its-kind platform that empowers a culture of well-being in the metaverse. Patrice Evra is taking the creativity he is known for on the football pitch to the business landscape through a new content company. Meanwhile, Metta World Peace’s Artest Management Group’s XvsX Sports will bring competitive basketball experiences to cities globally for men and women.

Sarah Omolewu is the founder and driving force behind the programme and has leveraged her close relationships in US celebrity and investor circles to secure relevant entrepreneurs and ambassadors for the programme.

Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General, ADIO, said: “ADIO supports innovation-focused businesses and entrepreneurs looking to explore the full potential of Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem. We look forward, through our support of Access Abu Dhabi, to working with Deepak Chopra, Patrice Evra and Metta World Peace as they take the next steps to grow their global ventures from Abu Dhabi.”

Deepak Chopra said: “As realities merge and technology advances, opportunities for new immersive experiences focused on wellness and meditation arise. Abu Dhabi’s leadership in Web3 innovation and commitment to enriching happiness offer the perfect base for the expansion of the ChopraVerse. We are excited to see how the ChopraVerse can continue coming to life in partnership with the Access Abu Dhabi programme.”

Metta World Peace said: “I was fortunate enough to visit Abu Dhabi just over a year ago with Maven Global Access’ and the Access Abu Dhabi programme. It became clear to me that now is the perfect time to bring competitive basketball experiences to the UAE for both men and women, and with Abu Dhabi being one of the few places worldwide to get a feel of real NBA action, this feels like the natural choice. We are excited for Abu Dhabi residents to showcase their talent on the court and are delighted to be expanding our operations.”

Patrice Evra said: “After the privilege of a long career in professional football, I am now playing a different game in the corporate world. The opportunity to tap into Abu Dhabi’s world-class talent will bring about exciting prospects for our new company. I look forward to assembling a team that will explore the emirate’s creativity and capitalise on the support provided by Maven Global Access and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, amongst other people that I have had the pleasure of connecting with across this innovative ecosystem.”

Dhaher bin Dhaher Al Mheiri, CEO of the Registration Authority at ADGM said, “Several entrepreneurs, innovators and startups call Abu Dhabi and ADGM their 'home' to thrive in, for sustainable growth and business development. We at ADGM are committed to enhancing and developing our ecosystem and regulatory frameworks to make sure that the IFC remains to be a destination of choice for success, flourishing investments, growth prospects and ambitious entrepreneurial talent. ADGM welcomes Kevin O’Leary and the high-profile delegation of internationally renowned cultural leaders to Abu Dhabi and ADGM. We look forward to supporting the expansion plans in their global growth strategy.”

Maven Global Access’ programme, Access Abu Dhabi, is open to all US businesses and includes various support to accelerate expansion and growth in Abu Dhabi, including mentorship from programme ambassador, Kevin O’Leary.

Interested companies can apply for the programme here: www.accessabudhabi.com