Dubai Mall Opens Next Month
Due to open next month at Downtown Dubai, its size alone is likely to catapult it into the top flight of retail destinations around the world. And that feat is without counting the inclusion of one of the largest aquarium’s yet built – complete with 30,000-plus fish and sharks – and an Olympic-size ice-skating rink.
Other attractions, alongside seemingly countless shops, will be a 22-screen cinema and a Sega Zone entertainment centre.
The Dubai Mall – in the shadow of Burj Dubai – has 3.77m sq ft of shop space, more than any in the spiritual home of mall, the United States. (By way of contrast, Mall of the Emirates has 2.4m sq ft of shop space.)
Officials at developer Emaar remain tightlipped about the brand names that will draw millions of customers to the venue – saying only that “every major name” will be represented.
World-famous London toy store Hamley’s is set to open a branch in The Dubai Mall, along with Paris’s Galeries Lafayette.
Other brands speculated to open – but not confirmed – are New York’s Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, and the US chain Macy’s.
Yousif Al Ali, general manager of Emaar Malls Group, which is also building the vast Marina Mall at Dubai Marina, said: “Galeries Lafeyette is a confirmed anchor department store and is expected to open from our opening day.
“The mall is currently under negotiations to finalise the second anchor department store and also continuing negotiations with many other brands.
“The Dubai Mall will feature some key launch attractions [in August] including the world-class aquarium, the world’s largest indoor gold souk and the main thoroughfares showcasing hundreds of retailers.
“The entertainment precinct will open towards the end of the year as the completion of these requires a dust-free environment.” He said some 30 million shoppers were expected at The Dubai Mall in the first year.
The shopping centre has a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft and will be home to more than1,200 stores.
Part of the mall, known as the The Grove, will feature a retractable roof, which will give shoppers an open-air experience in clement weather and protection from the elements in stormy or hot conditions.
Shoppers at Dubai Mall will also be able to buy tickets for the observation deck on the 124th floor of Burj Dubai.
Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) Chairman Eisa Adam Ibrahim said the opening of The Dubai Mall on August 28 was eagerly anticipated – by shoppers and other retailers.
“One of the main reasons people come to Dubai is shopping and the Dubai Mall can only help that,” he said.
“The Dubai Mall is going to be a good addition. It will be a wake up call to other malls to maintain and sustain their excellence.
“Having shopping malls as entertainment centres has proved successful with Ibn Battuta and Mall of the Emirates and it will continue to do so with Dubai Mall.
“Is The Dubai Mall good for the competition? Yes. Al Ghurair is 30 years old and it is still successful despite many new malls opening.”
Research by the American business magazine Forbes, shows the world’s largest shopping mall, in terms of gross leasable space, is the South China Mall, in Dongguan, completed in 2005. It has a GLS of 7.1 million sq ft.
Based on Forbes’ findings, The Dubai Mall would be the sixth largest, behind the West Edmonton Mall, Canada.
The Entrance
Dubai Mall will have a grand entrance, which it is hoped will see many of the projected 30 million visitors pass through in its first year. Access to the Dubai Mall will be through Downtown Dubai that has routes from Sheikh Zayed Road and Doha Street as well as a link to Dubai Metro and the area’s tram system.
Fashion Avenue
Covering 440,000 sq ft with its own VIP entrance, Fashion Avenue is a custom-designed area dedicated to haute couture. It ushers in a new “avant-garde” era in retail culture to Dubai with more than 70 signature stores such as Galliano and will highlight the latest trends in their global repertoire.
Gold Souk
Billed as the world’s largest indoor gold souk with 220 gold and jewellery retailers, a treasury dome and 25m x 13m atrium — a ceiling with changing multimedia shows. The souk will also tell the story of merchants crossing the vast desert to trade gold and other commodities.
The Grove
The Grove shopping precinct will have a retractable roof to give shoppers an open-air shopping experience in good weather and protection from the elements in stormy or hot conditions. It also plays a key role in the overall safety of the mall’s smoke extraction plan.
Waterfront Promenade
This area, in between the mall and Burj Dubai, will offer views of the world’s tallest building with its surrounding lakes and waterfalls. It is aimed at being an area of tranquillity away from the bustle of the mall, where people can stroll and relax after a hard day shopping.
Ice Rink
An Olympic-size ice rink will offer entertainment for beginners as well as a NHL-certified facility for organised team events. The climate-controlled environment of the rink will be visible from three levels of the mall. The rink can be covered with floor panels for concerts and private functions.
Sega Indoor Theme Park
Based on Sega’s flagship entertainment concept, the “Tokyo Joypolis”, the Dubai Mall zone will introduce a full line up of Sega’s headline ride attractions, including an indoor roller-coaster and motion ride simulators. It will form part of a two-level 76,000 sq ft of area the entertainment complex.
Aquarium
In the centre of the mall, the 50m-long aquarium will be flanked by two glass tunnels with 180-degree views for visitors. Sand tiger sharks and stingrays will be among the 30,000-plus animals on show. The aquarium will have the largest viewing panel in the world, at 32m x 8m.
published in Emirates Business 24/7
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Dubai is already host to the world’s tallest tower, Burj Dubai, and two man-made islands ? The Palm Jumeirah and Palm Deira.
Commenting on the new lifestyle destination, Mohammed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties PJSC said, “Business growth is about seizing the right opportunity at the right time. With The Dubai Mall, we are creating a unique combination of several niche malls. In the very first year, we expect 30 million visitors to the mall.”
Addressing the retailers recently, Alabbar said that The Dubai Mall would be a premier lifestyle destination of choice for Dubai’s huge catchment area across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent.
“Burj Dubai and The Dubai Mall are strong building blocks of Dubai’s growth, and The Dubai Mall will bring to Dubai and its business economy a strong platform for sustainable growth,” he said.
Jim Badour, CEO of Emaar Malls Group, says: “The Dubai Mall is located in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai master planned community where some of the world’s most iconic structures are being developed, including Burj Dubai. The Dubai Mall will revolutionise the modern shopping experience by introducing several new and innovative leisure and entertainment concepts to the region. We are creating a new lifestyle destination that will energise the retail, tourism and consumer audiences.”
The key components of the mall include one of the world’s largest indoor aquariums featuring 33,000 live animals; the world’s largest indoor gold souq with 220 retailers; the Middle East’s first Galleries Lafayette department store; an Olympic-size ice rink; and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof. The entertainment section would have the region’s first SEGA indoor theme park; KidZania, an 80,000 sq ft children’s ‘edu-tainment’ centre and a 22-screen cineplex.
The Dubai Mall will open doors to a new wave of high-adrenaline entertainment with SEGA Republic, an indoor theme park featuring thrilling rides, motion-simulator adventures and cutting-edge amusements.
SEGA Republic would be a two-level, 76,000 sq ft indoor theme park, featuring a diverse line-up of rides and amusements, all in a controlled environment designed from the concept stage to entertain all age groups. With zones themed to reflect the experiences on offer, from the thrill of the “Speed Zone”, the active “Sports Zone”, the major rides and simulators, and huge redemption zone, SEGA Republic would offer something for all age-groups.
While residents are already excited and waiting for the mall to open says Antony Smith, a South African marketing executive living in Dubai for past the five years, “I am looking forward to visiting the theme park. I am a sport lover and it would be fun to go and have some adventure activity in the mall while my family can shop.”
Saad Khan, a student, said, “I am proud to say that I am a Dubai resident. Each time, I visit my home country my friends are curious to know more about Dubai. The Dubai Mall is another destination which I can boast of now when I go home this year.”
Spectacular aquarium to open at the Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall opening in Dubai next month will be setting new standards in both shopping and entertainment for all the family.
One of the spectacular features will be in the centre of the mall, where a 50m long aquarium will be flanked by two glass tunnels with 180-degree views for visitors. Sand tiger sharks and stingrays will be among more than 30,000 animals on show. The aquarium will have the largest viewing panel in the world. The Ice Rink and Sega Indoor Theme Park will also offer family fun in the entertainment complex.
The mall has confirmed that one of its two main anchor stores will be Paris’s Galeries Lafayette and all major global brands will be represented in over 1200 stores.
Dubai: Thirty vulnerable shark species have arrived in the UAE to live in Dubai Aquarium at the Dubai Mall.
Sand tiger sharks were listed endangered in 1996 but have bounced back and will be on show in the 50-metre long aquarium next month.
Developed by Emaar Malls Group, Dubai Aquarium, is set to be one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world and is scheduled to open on August 28.
The sand tiger sharks form part of the 33,000 expected population of aquatic animals in Dubai Aquarium, they are also known as grey nurse sharks.
According to Rita Bento, marine biologist at the Emirates Diving Association, sand tiger sharks are considered vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Animals are listed as vulnerable when they are not critically endangered or endangered but face a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future. They were classified endangered back in 1996, but not anymore, said Bento.
“They are vulnerable because this large coastal species of shark has one of the lowest reproductive rates…giving birth to one or two large young every two years…. Although the species is widespread, regional populations are isolated and no longer thought to mix,” she said.
According to Emaar Malls Group the sharks were delivered under the stringent supervision of the Oceanis Australia Group in line with international best practices.
Curator of Dubai Aquarium Paul Hamilton, said total care was taken in the transportation of the sharks which are now adapting to their new environment.
“The management of marine species for Dubai Aquarium involves careful logistical planning and we are working with a highly qualified and vastly experienced staff. Sand tiger sharks are amazing creatures and their arrival to the aquarium marks a major milestone for the project,” he said.
Transportation, housing and maintaining the selected species within Dubai Aquarium comply with all relevant international and regional government permits, including Cites, Emaar Malls Group has reported.
The planning and setting up of Dubai Aquarium is in accordance with the guidelines of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and abides by a comprehensive Code of Ethics and Animal Care with respect to the acquisition and display of the selected species.
What are tiger sharks?
- Tiger sharks are large bodied animals, reaching up to 3.5 metres.
- They are a docile, non-aggressive species.
- They are found in warm or temperate waters throughout the world’s oceans, except the eastern Pacific and have a tendency towards shoreline habitats.
-They were classified endangered back in 1996, but have since bounced back.
- The sand tiger shark is migratory within its region.
DUBAI: Come Oct 30 and tourists across the world will have another reason to visit this desert oasis city as one of the world’s largest malls will open its doors to the public.
Emaar Malls Group, a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based real estate major Emaar Properties, has finalized the date for the inauguration of The Dubai Mall, it was announced here.
Being seen as one of the largest mall openings in the region, Emaar Malls’ flagship project will cover 12 million sq ft of space. With a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft, it will have 3.77 million sq ft of gross leasable space.
The new facility will house 1,200 retail outlets, two anchor department stores and over 120 food and beverage outlets, apart from the world’s largest indoor gold souk.
“By opening on October 30, we are not only offering customers the option of several added attractions but also better public amenities such as more parking for cars and smoother access,” Emaar Properties chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar said in a company statement.
Cities in the Gulf like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Manama, Doha and Muscat are home to some of the biggest architectural marvels that go by the name of “mall”. Dubai itself is home to two of the biggest architectural beauties of the region – the Mall of the Emirates and the Ibn Batuta Mall.
Now, the new landmark, The Dubai Mall, is expected to add to Dubai’s growing reputation in the global tourism market as a centre for “malling”.
Giving an idea of the other features of the mall, Alabbar said: “The Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre, the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink, the world’s largest indoor gold souk and hundreds of retailers will open simultaneously giving visitors several retail and leisure options.”
The aquarium, one of the world’s largest indoor ones, will feature 33,000 aquatic animals, representing over 85 different marine species. The ice rink, the Emaar statement said, would double up as a multipurpose venue for public and private functions apart from serving as the regular venue for skating enthusiasts.
This apart, there will be a number of other leisure facilities catering to various age groups and a 22-screen cineplex.
Adjoining the mall is The Address, a five-star hotel with 250 rooms and 450 serviced apartments.
The Dubai Mall will have parking facilities for 14,000 cars and there will be a dedicated bridge from Dubai’s arterial highway Sheikh Zayed Road giving access to the mall.
As for the date of opening the mall, Emaar Malls Group chief executive Jim Badour said: “The October opening has been planned to coincide with a key retail period that immediately follows, and thus will give our retailers a period abuzz with retail activity.”
The date coincides with an extended retail season in the region marked by the UAE National Day, the holy festival of Eid Al Adha, New Year and the now well-known Dubai Shopping Festival.
The new Dubai Mall is part of Emaar’s flagship mega-project, the 73-billion dirham ($20 billion) downtown Burj Dubai, billed as the world’s most prestigious square kilometre, the centerpiece of which is the Burj Dubai tower, set to become officially the world’s tallest building when it opens Sep 2009.
DUBAI – The opening of The Dubai Mall has been postponed to October 30 from August 28 as some retail and leisure attractions are still being finalised in the 12-million-sq-ft shoppers' paradise, an integral part of the Downtown Burj Dubai development by Emaar Properties.
"This is beneficial for retailers as this allows for more time for fit-out as well as for training their staff and streamlining the operational aspects," said Yousif Al Ali, the mall's general manager. "The new opening date will give our valued retailers more time and opportunity to be part of the launch of The Dubai Mall, from day one."
The new date coincides with the extended retail season in the Gulf region marked by the UAE National Day, Eid Al Adha, New Year and the Dubai Shopping Festival, according to Emaar Malls Group, a subsidiary of the Middle East's biggest real-estate developer Emaar Properties, in a statement yesterday.
Mohamed Ali Alabbar, the chairman of Emaar Properties, said the mall expects some 30 million customers on the first year of business. The installation of adequate service infrastructure is therefore needed for the smooth flow of customer traffic.
He added that the mall would have 14,000 car park spaces and a dedicated bridge from Shaikh Zayed Road for direct access. Work on the Dubai metro is also fast progressing while other access roads are being prepared for the influx in the number of shoppers.
"By opening on October 30, we are not only offering customers the option of several added attractions but also better public amenities such as more parking spaces and smoother roads access," Alabbar stressed.
He said The Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre, the Olympic-size Dubai Ice Rink, the world's largest indoor gold souk as well as hundreds of retailers in the mall would also open shop on October 30.
"The Dubai Mall is already in global spotlight and it is important that it opens with maximum shopping and leisure attractions," said Jim Badour, the CEO of Emaar Malls Group. "At the same time, it is also crucial to have a strong supporting infrastructure, which will make access in and out of the mall a smooth and stress-free experience."
The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest malls being developed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based real estate major Emaar Properties, has unveiled what it calls the most sophisticated multimedia systems to be ever installed in a shopping mall.
The new feature will take visitors on a visual journey as a combination of dynamic and static images are displayed throughout the mall in a colourful array of shapes, sizes and formats, according to a statement issued by Emaar’s retail subsidiary Emaar Malls.
The new mall is set to open Oct 30 this year.
“The exclusive multimedia display systems enhance the existing leisure attractions by capturing ‘wow’ moments and projecting them across the entire network for all visitors to experience,” Jim Badour, chief executive of Emaar Malls, said in the statement.
“Our focus was to integrate the multimedia capabilities into the larger entertainment offerings of the mall.”
The mall expects over 30 million visitors from around the world in the first year of opening.
Giving an idea of the new multimedia systems, the Emaar statement said one of the key features is the ability to capture ‘moments of exclusivity’ – a single image projected across the entire mall that will ensure total visitor attention.
These moments could include displays of live shark feeds to brand launches telecast across the entire network to provide mall-wide entertainment to visitors simultaneously.
Among the displays that will be most notable for their size and visual impact are a full 20m x 10m high-definition light-emitting diode (LED) display overlooking the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink, a fully retractable LED-clad catwalk in the mall’s Fashion Avenue facility and a 22m wide Treasury Dome in the world’s largest indoor gold souk capable of projecting images similar to a planetarium format.
Another notable feature will be the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink’s 20m x 10m display, which will double up as a scoreboard for sporting matches, or a display for live events.
“The integrated multimedia network at the Dubai Mall will be an audio-visual spectacle that will keep visitors constantly entertained and stimulated,” Yousif Al Ali, the mall’s general manager, said.
“It will be unlike anything ever seen or experienced in a shopping mall.”
In all, the mall will feature over 400 high-definition LED displays and over 300 advertising panels.
Being seen as one of the largest mall openings in the region, Emaar Malls’ flagship project will cover 12 million sq ft of space. With a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft, it will have 3.77 million sq ft of gross leasable space.
The new facility will house 1,200 retail outlets, two anchor department stores and over 120 food and beverage outlets, an aquarium featuring 33,000 aquatic animals, representing over 85 different marine species, apart from the world’s largest indoor gold souk and the ice rink.
There will also be a number of other leisure facilities catering to various age groups and a 22-screen cineplex.
Dubai Mall
Wonder mall Even if you hate shopping, Anna Whitehouse finds The Dubai Mall has some serious strings to its bow.
According to the people at The Dubai Mall, ‘The earth has a new centre.’ While this may sound a tad dramatic (we are of course speaking about a shopping mall), the 1,200 shops, 160 restaurants and 270-degree aquarium (complete with a shoal of tiger sharks) do indicate that its planned opening on October 30 could, at the very least, rock Dubai. In a sneak preview to its epic unveiling – it’s apparently the equivalent of 50 football pitches in size – Time Out dons a hard hat and gives you a small insight into the fun to come.
Fashion Avenue
While it may not be La Rue Saint Honoré in Paris, The Dubai Mall pays homage to haute couture with more than 70 stores – expect the likes of Massimo Dutti and Topshop – in Fashion Avenue alone, covering 440,000 sq ft. Time Out is giddy with excitement over the opening of Galeries Lafayette, France’s leading lifestyle retailer and the first department store to anchor The Dubai Mall. Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre The main attraction is the fairly-hard-to-miss Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre, which boasts one of the largest tanks in the world at 51m x 20m x 11m. With the capacity to hold 10million litres of water, the aquarium has more than 33,000 fish, including over 400 sharks and rays combined. Unimpressed? Well, the close-encounter 270-degree acrylic walkthrough tunnel and special ‘lunar-cyclic’ lighting should seal the deal.
Discovery Centre
The adjoining Discovery Centre is located above the tank and is all about showing kids and roaming adults the joy of ecology and marine life. There are touch pools, glass bottom boats (yes, really) and you’ll learn all about the humble drop of H2O on its journey from sky to plant to sea to mouth. It’s apparently all about human-animal contact. And you thought it was just a mall. Gold Souk Quite befittingly The Dubai Mall has thrown a little local flavour into its realms with the Gold Souk, the largest of its kind in the world. Expect more than 220 of the region’s most coveted gold and jewellery sellers to join forces in this epic space. The pièce de résistance? The treasury atrium with a whopping great dome and a dynamic projection ceiling featuring jazzy images.
KidZania
While KidZania may be marketed towards little urchins, there’s something about the 80,000 sq ft of kid-sized streets, buildings and shops (you can pretend to be anything from a nurse to a car mechanic) that has won Time Out over. Who needs couture when you can play dress up? Even better, you can drop yourself (or child) off at the mini city for as long as you want. Job done. SEGA Republic Now we’re talking. SEGA Republic is a two-level, 76,000 sq ft high adrenaline junkie’s paradise. If dressing up like a policeman seems wimpy, this indoor theme park (for adults and children) is based on the original Joypolis concept in Tokyo and offers everything from high adrenaline motion-simulated rides, indoor spin-coasters and one of the largest selection of arcade and gaming machines in the world. It’s the one way you’ll persuade any reluctant partners to ‘shop’.
Dubai Ice Rink
It seems Ski Dubai is being given a run for its money as The Dubai Mall opens an Olympic-size ice rink capable of hosting international and competition standard events. With regular ‘learn to skate’ programmes pegged and a giant LED screen displaying all manner of music videos, there’s nowhere quite like it for a cool down. Ski Dubai better watch its back.