Brighton Pier Group is reportedly pursuing interest in the Palace Pier from members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, with CEO Anne Ackord telling Arabian Gulf Business Insight that the company is looking to spread its net “a bit wider” to achieve the £16m asking price.
Brighton Pier Group is reportedly seeking a buyer for the historic Palace Pier from members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as “poor market conditions” make undervalued UK assets more attractive for overseas investors.
Though BPG is yet to appoint a local broker, Arabian Gulf Business Insight stated that the group is actively courting buyers from the GCC who may be more willing to consider the £15m to £16m asking price.
“Why we thought of the Gulf at the beginning was that we just had an inquiry from someone [from the region,]” CEO Anne Ackord told AGBI. “That made us think, OK, maybe we should spread our net a bit wider.”
“The UK economy is in a little bit of a state of flux at the moment, but hospitality and leisure have been hit quite hard.”
Predictions from Gulf-facing bank BLME suggest that investment from the GCC in UK real estate will increase by up to 20 percent this year, reaching £3.4bn.
Speaking to AGBI, branding strategist Francesco Nerici said “buying in the UK is a bit of a bargain. I’m having lots of conversations about relations with Gulf buyers.”
“There is a perception here that big investments are coming from this area of the world.”
If a deal is struck for Brighton Palace Pier, the 126-year-old landmark would become the UK’s first pleasure pier owned by an overseas investor.
“This is probably the most important business for Brighton,” added Ackord. “So whoever owns the pier has an enormous amount of influence.”
“We very much want to find the right buyer. We want to find someone who will continue to manage it, develop it, but also treasure it.”
Bridging the Gulf
Anne Ackord said… “This is probably the most important business for Brighton. So whoever owns the pier has an enormous amount of influence…
Originally published on Coinslot on March 2, 2026. Republished with permission.