Former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has relocated to Dubai, his uncle Adedamola Joshua has confirmed, revealing that the British-Nigerian boxing star made the move months ago despite the UAE city coming under sustained attack from Iranian suicide drones as part of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
“He has already moved to Dubai. He doesn’t need to inform us before making such a move, but I know he has moved a while ago, talking of months back now,” Adedamola said.
Asked about the safety concerns surrounding the conflict, the uncle said Joshua’s presence in Dubai was not permanent during the current hostilities.
“His staying there is on and off, and definitely, he won’t be there now,” he said.
The confirmation from the family comes after the two-time world heavyweight champion’s change of residential status was also revealed in company filings for his £150 million business empire.
According to the Daily Mail, paperwork filed for two of Joshua’s companies, Sparta Promotions Limited and 258 Investments Limited, both now list the UAE as his country of residence.
Dubai is a popular destination for wealthy Britons partly due to the absence of income tax. Joshua would have been liable to pay UK tax on dividend payments of £10.1 million in 2024 and £6.3 million in 2023, while his company Sparta Promotions made profits of £20.4 million and paid £6.65 million in UK tax in 2024. Under UK tax rules, individuals who spend fewer than 16 days in the country are not considered tax residents.
The 36-year-old, who was born in Watford and is of Nigerian heritage through both parents, won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, and has long been a regular visitor to Dubai for training and promotional work, with his most memorable visit coming in 2017 when he sparred on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel, 700 feet above the sea.
The move also follows the tragic road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 29 that claimed the lives of his friends, personal trainer Kevin Ayodele and long-time recovery therapist Sina Ghami, just 10 days after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami.
Joshua sustained minor injuries and has since been undergoing rehabilitation, recently sharing images of rib treatment on Snapchat.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has said Joshua is not yet physically ready to return to training camp and is targeting a ring return in July. Joshua also recently invested £1.2 million in a 15,300 sq ft penthouse in Oman, though that property is believed to be an investment rather than a permanent base.
The PUNCH