Bollywood power couple Abhishek & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan become residents of Sanctuary Falls in Dubai

Bollywood power couple Abhishek & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan become residents of Sanctuary Falls in Dubai

Bollywood celebrity couple Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has acquired a villa at the prestigious Sanctuary Falls, a resort-style villa community within Jumeirah Golf Estates being developed by Shaikh Holdings. Following in the footsteps of international celebrity couples such as David & Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, that have acquired property in Dubai, Abhishek and Aishwarya now own a luxury villa in Dubai. At an exclusive "Residents’ Party" on Friday night, May 30 at the 7-star Burj Al Arab hotel, Abhishek and Aishwarya were present as new owners of a villa in the Sanctuary Falls development and were introduced to future neighbours by the property's developers, Shaikh Holdings. Although no details were divulged on the couple's new home, which is expected to be ready in the first quarter of 2010, Sanctuary Falls is a collection of 96 resort style villas in a secure double-gated community and overlooks the Earth golf course designed by Greg Norman. The community features five and six bedroom villas, ranging from 5,600 to 10,600 square feet, with villa prices from USD 4 million to USD 10 million. "I don't think we choose a place, I believe a place chooses you," said Abhishek with a broad smile on being asked why Dubai and why Sanctuary Falls. He added, “We saw the Sanctuary Falls project and the facilities and just knew that we had to be a part of it.” The couple looked relaxed despite a hectic past week, which included a visit to the Cannes Film Festival and a three-hour walk to Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple. They also displayed no signs of anxiety ahead of Sarkar Raj's release this week, in which Aishwarya joins Abhishek and father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan, on screen. "I don't think I've ever been nervous or stressed out before a film's release," said Aishwarya. Dressed in an Indian kurta, Aishwarya held onto Abhishek for most of the evening and did most of the talking when interacting with the small gathering of guests at the reception. When asked whether the couple would be looking to move to Dubai, Abhishek was quick to dismiss any suggestion of a shift. "We live in Mumbai and work out of Mumbai. As our whole family is in the acting profession, all our jobs are in Mumbai," he said. "I'm quite sure we'll be spending more weekends here though," Aishwarya said with a giggle. As visible public figures who generate constant media interest, Abhishek described privacy as "super precious" and added that in the selection of their new home, the couple's concerns towards security and privacy ranked extremely high. "I'd say it was probably the most important factor for us. Especially the security aspect. As for our public status, we respect the fact that we're public figures and are aware of the enormous responsibility that comes with it and also realise that we owe our current status to the audiences that love us. But, our privacy is very dear to us," he said. Describing Dubai as a special place, Aishwarya recalled the premiere of her film ‘Provoked’ in the presence of Amitabh Bachchan during the 2006 IIFA awards. "I always have fond memories of Dubai and I'm looking forward to enjoying more special moments during weekend getaways,” she said with a smile. "Dubai is special to us not just as a place where we enjoy great warmth and generosity in terms of love and acceptance from the people, but it's become a remarkable city and one that's so close to home," Abhishek added. "We're a normal couple and are part of a normal family,” Aishwarya said. "It's very important to us that home is a space where we can enjoy every moment together with the family." Shaikh Holdings has offered all owners the opportunity to customize their home experience. Abhishek and Aishwarya too have selected from a range of traditional, modern and contemporary architectural styles, interior finishes and kitchen designs. In terms of amenities, the developer will be providing the homes with fully landscaped gardens, arrival water fountains, resort style swimming pools, Scavolini designer kitchens and Bang & Olufsen home theatre systems. If that’s not enough, the couple will be able to enjoy views of lakes, waterfalls and the golf course throughout the community. “As we lay down the foundations of our villas, so too are we laying down the roots of our community. It is people that bring life to a community, and the Residents’ Party was a great way to bring everyone together, as we strengthen old relationships and welcome new residents,” said Imran Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer, Shaikh Holdings. Shaikh Holdings is a developer of luxury communities focused on golf, waterfront and themed concepts. Sanctuary Falls will be a landmark villa community set amidst lush golf vistas and inspiring lakes. The community is set on the Earth golf course, which was recently announced as the chosen venue for the richest golf tournament in the world, the Dubai World Championship starting in 2009. “We are especially excited to welcome the Bachchan family to their home in the Sanctuary Falls community and hope that it will provide their family with the perfect home away from home,” added Shamrez Shaikh, Chief Operations Officer, Shaikh Holdings.