Mall of the Emirates (Arabic: مول الإمارات) is a shopping mall in Dubai. Developed and owned by Majid Al Futtaim Group, it opened in November 2005 and is located at interchange four on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Mall of the Emirates
مول الإمارات
Mall of the Emirates logo
Main entrance foyer of the mall
Map
LocationDubai, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates25°7′5″N 55°12′2″E / 25.11806°N 55.20056°E / 25.11806; 55.20056
Opening date28 September 2005; 19 years ago (2005-09-28)
DeveloperMajid Al Futtaim Group
OwnerMajid Al Futtaim Group
No. of stores and services900+
No. of anchor tenants11
Total retail floor area2,400,000 square feet (220,000 m2)
No. of floors4
Parking7000+
Public transit accessMall of the Emirates Metro Station
Bus routes: 84, 93, F29, F30, F33
Websitewww.malloftheemirates.com

The multi-level shopping mall currently features more than 630 retail outlets, 7900 parking spaces, over 100 restaurants and cafés, 80 luxury stores and 250 flagship stores. It has a total gross leasable area of 255,489 square meters. It also hosts family leisure activities including Ski Dubai (the Middle East's first indoor ski resort and snow park), the 500-seat capacity Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre and Magic planet, one of the largest indoor family entertainment centers in Dubai.[1][2]

In November 2005, it was named the World's Leading New Shopping Mall at the World Travel Awards in London.[3] In 2017, Forbes named Mall of the Emirates as one of the top five shopping malls in Dubai.[4]

Construction and history

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The project was launched in October 2003 at an estimated cost of AED 800 million (US$218 million), and was scheduled to be completed in September 2005. The architecture in the three-storey complex combines Arabic and Mediterranean elements, with each level connected to a car park.[5]

The mall was designed by the American architectural firm F+A Architects. The main building contract was handled by Khansaheb, while the Ski Dubai contract was given to Pomagalski. The chair lifts in the snow park and the structural steel works were handled by Emirates Building System and the piling by Bauer.

The mall opened for business on 28 September 2005 with an official inauguration in November.[6][5][7][8]

Milestones

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  • September 2005 – Mall of the Emirates opens[9]
  • November 2005 – Opening of Ski Dubai, the Middle East's first indoor ski resort and snow park[3]
  • April 2006 – Kempinski opens hotel at the mall[10]
  • September 2008 – mall announces expansion to increase facilities for shopping, dining and parking[11]
  • September 2009 – completion of metro link to mall from the Red Line of the Dubai Metro[12]
  • August 2010 – launch of Fashion Dome[13]
  • 2012 – ranked the 7th most productive shopping center in the world, earning US$1,423 per square foot per annum, according to research by the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC)[14]
  • June 2013 – Mall of the Emirates announces Evolution 2015, a multi-stage AED 1 billion redevelopment project[15]
  • May 2014 – Mall of the Emirates changes their logo
  • September 2015 – Mall of the Emirates opened the new expansion on Level 2.[16]

Shopping

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Shops at the mall include a Carrefour hypermarket, Centrepoint, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols, Home Centre, Jashanmal and Marks & Spencer.

Entertainment

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The mall also hosts a number of family leisure offerings. These include the Magic Planet family entertainment area, a 20-screen VOX Cinema, Ski Dubai, and the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre.[1]

Ski Dubai

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Spectators in the mall look into the Ski Dubai.
 
Ski Dubai ski slope.

Ski Dubai is a large indoor skiing facility at Mall of the Emirates, offering snowboarding, ski lessons, children's play area and cafe. It opened in November 2005 and houses the world's largest indoor snow park. It is operated by Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment.[17][18]

Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre

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Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC) is a non-profit, cross-community creative centre that opened in November 2006, under the patronage of Princess Haya bint Hussein. It was spread over 7,424 square metres (79,910 sq ft) on the second floor of the Mall of the Emirates. There were two-level theatre and rehearsal spaces, along with an arts centre housing galleries, classrooms, studios, music school, library and high specification visual arts gallery.[19][20][21]

In July 2018, Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre (DUCTAC) closed at the Mall of the Emirates.[22][23]

VOX Cinemas

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VOX Cinemas has a 14-screen multiplex cinema at Mall of the Emirates, including 2 VOX Gold screens. VOX Cinemas is owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas. It is located in the new expansion area at Mall of the Emirates level 2 and consists of 24- screens including an IMAX with Laser theatre, Vox Kids, 4DX Cinema and Theatre by Rhodes.[24][25][26][27]

Magic Planet

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Magic Planet is an indoor family entertainment centre with two entertainment zones for children and young adults. It has a ten-pin bowling alley with 12 lanes, pool and billiard tables, 180 amusement machines, and other attractions including a carousel, racing simulators, Jumping Star, soft play and bumper cars. It also includes the RoboCoaster (a two-person thrill ride unique to the Middle East) and XD Dark Ride, a "7D" adventure with 3D movie graphics and 4D effects including motion, wind and light.[28]

Dining

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The mall has over 100 restaurants and cafes including eight restaurants in the Fashion Dome:

  • Two international food courts
  • Restaurants including St. Maxim's, Salmontini, Karam Beirut and Apres and Sezzam on the first floor
  • UAE's African-themed diner Tribes at the Fashion Dome
  • Häagen-Dazs café
  • 12 new dining options on Level 2 including Omina Baharat, 800 Degrees Neapolitana Pizzeria, Dean & Deluca, Eat Greek Kouzina, Din Tai Fung, Azkadenya, Texas De Brazil & Common Grounds.
  • The Cheesecake Factory, American restaurant
  • Al Halabi – Lebanese restaurant
  • P.F Chang's – American Chinese restaurant
  • Miu Shanghai Tea House and Restaurant offers nosh from Japan, China, Thailand and Indonesia.
  • YO! Sushi – conveyor belt sushi[29]
  • Nazcaa [30]

Hotels

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The mall is directly connected to two international chain hotels: the 375-key Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in the west, and the 481-key Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel in the east.[31] The first hotel opened in 2006,[32] while the second opened in 2013.[33]

Expansion

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Mall of the Emirates’ AED 1 billion multi-stage redevelopment project, Evolution 2015, was completed in September 2015. The new Fashion District featuring 30 contemporary brands marked the completion of Phase 1.[16] Phase 2 has added a second taxi rank located next to Ski Dubai on level 4. Phase 3, unveiled a new retail extension on Level 2 – an additional 36,000sqm of retail space added to include 40 new retailers.[34][16]

On 10 September 2013, Mall of the Emirates announced a multi-stage redevelopment project worth an estimated AED 1 billion (US$274 million), which is called as Evolution 2015. Phase one of the project which will increase 5,000 sqm area more is already completed but expected to open in mid-2015 includes new shopping, dining and entertainment concepts. However, due to the limitations of its location, the mall will be expanded upwards by constructing a second floor on top of the Carrefour area.[35][36]

On 25 August 2014, Mall of the Emirates announced phase two of its strategic redevelopment project, Evolution 2015 which is now currently underway. In this stage, the mall will be expanded by gross leasable area of 26,000 square metres (280,000 sq ft). This project includes an additional of 1300 new spaces for car parking, 12 new restaurants, new prayer rooms for both, men and women and the relocation of the current VOX Cinemas which will now have 24 screens.[37]As per senior asset director of Mall of the Emirates Mr Fuad Sharaf,“Retail stores and restaurants seeking to expand throughout the world are often choosing the UAE to open their first Middle East location, based on the growing demands for high-fashion and choice across shopping and dining sectors. Mall of the Emirates is boosting the UAE’s retail landscape by offering international brands with a platform for growth.”[38]

The new expansion project "Evolution 2015" was officially opened on 28 September 2015 which increased the gross leasable area to 26,000 square metres (280,000 sq ft).[39] On 30 September 2015, David Beckham visited the mall for the inauguration of the Adidas store which was built in the newly expanded section.[40]

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Your Local Travel Guide to Worldwide Destinations – My Destination". MyDestination.com Hubsite Travel.
  2. ^ Matthew Kassel (14 February 2012). "The Coolest Shopping Malls – Business Insider". Business Insider.
  3. ^ a b Dubai FAQs. "Mall of the Emirates".
  4. ^ "The Five Best Shopping Malls In Dubai". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  5. ^ a b "Gulf Construction". gulfconstructiononline.com.
  6. ^ Yamurai Zendera. "Special report: The UAE's most iconic projects".
  7. ^ Tim Newbold. "Mall of the Emirates all set to open today – Khaleej Times".
  8. ^ "Mall of the emirates, let's largest shopping mall". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03.
  9. ^ "Mall of the Emirates (MoE) – Al Barshaa 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) (مول الإمارات) – TEN Yellow Pages".
  10. ^ "Luxury 5 Star Hotel in Dubai – Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates".
  11. ^ "Mall of the Emirates to undergo big expansion".
  12. ^ Dubai FAQs. "Dubai Metro Red Line".
  13. ^ Daisy Carrington (25 August 2010). "Enter the Fashion Dome". Time Out Dubai.
  14. ^ "Dubai's MOE Ranks Among World's Top 10 Lucrative Malls". Gulf Business. 22 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Mall of the Emirates Announces Evolution 2015; Multi-Stage AED 1 Billion Redevelopment". 10 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ a b c "Mall of Emirates extension opening on September28; Will Apple store open too?". Emirates 24-7.
  17. ^ Dubai FAQs. "Ski Dubai".
  18. ^ "Ski Dubai – Majid Al Futtaim". Archived from the original on 2014-07-20. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  19. ^ "Your Local Travel Guide to Worldwide Destinations". MyDestination.com Hubsite Travel.
  20. ^ Jyoti Kalsi, Special to Weekend Review. "View installations that relate to Dubai at Ductac". gulfnews.com.
  21. ^ "DUCTAC Studios". tangodubai.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  22. ^ "Theatre stalwarts pained by DUCTAC's closing down". gulfnews.com.
  23. ^ "Ductac takes its final bow: Stalwarts bid adieu". gulfnews.com.
  24. ^ "VOX Mall of the Emirates Cinema". TotallyEmirates.
  25. ^ "Pictures- Mall of the Emirates new Dhs 1 billion expansion". gulfbusiness.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015.
  26. ^ "Dubai's Mall of the Emirates' Dh1bn 'vertical' expansion opens". Emirates 24-7.
  27. ^ "Mall of the Emirates to unveil Dh1b extension on Sept 28 – Khaleej Times".
  28. ^ "Magic Planet". UAE4Kidz. Archived from the original on 2014-09-10.
  29. ^ Mall of the Emirates. "Best restaurants in Dubai – Fast foods, Cafes, International food courts, Mall of the Emirates".
  30. ^ One of the Best sushi restaurant in Dubai with Burj Khalifa View.
  31. ^ https://www.malloftheemirates.com/hotels%7Ctitle=Hotels connect to Mall of the Emirates
  32. ^ "Kempinski Mall of the Emirates GM on navigating his hotel through a sea of luxury". Hotelier Middle East. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Starwood opens Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates". Hotelier Middle East. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Dubai's Mall of the Emirates extension to open on Sept 28".
  35. ^ Mall of the Emirates. "Shopping's never been better, Mall of the Emirates".
  36. ^ "Dubai's Mall of the Emirates to get extra floor in $274m expansion". ArabianIndustry.com.
  37. ^ Mall of the Emirates. "Shopping's never been better, Mall of the Emirates". Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  38. ^ Reporter, Staff. "Mall of the Emirates expands retail mix". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  39. ^ "Mall of the Emirates unveils new extension on live broadcast". Gulf News. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  40. ^ "David Beckham opens new Adidas store at Mall of the Emirates". The National. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
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