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Jackson 'sheiks' on Bahrain move
14:29pm 1st August 2005

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Michael Jackson has bought property in the Gulf state of Bahrain, it was claimed today.

The troubled singer forked out an undisclosed sum to buy 14 acres of land next to a palace owned by his friend, Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad al Khalifa.

The one-time King of Pop has not been seen in public since he was sensationally cleared of child sex abuse in June.

He fled the US after the California trial and has been lying low in Bahrain.

Jackson has kept his Middle East sojourn tightly under wraps by donning traditional local dress such as a flowing, white djellaba and headdress to walk the streets undetected, according to the New York Post.

The report is just the latest in a string of revelations about where the frail singer intends to put down his roots.

His father, Joe Jackson, reportedly told German press last week that the singer intended to move to Berlin.

Any attempt to revive his career looks set to be a struggle. Jackson's latest greatest hits album limped into the US chart at number 128.

The Thriller star recently approached publicist Max Clifford to represent him but was turned down.

"It would be the hardest job in PR after Saddam Hussein and I would be astounded if he could turn things around," Clifford said.

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