25 June 2015
• Emaar Retail wins from a short-list of international leisure providers

• Underlines excellence in operating leisure assets by offering customers innovative experiences

Dubai - Emaar Retail, the premium provider of leisure and entertainment experiences, has won international recognition as the 'RLI Global Leisure Operator 2015' at the 10th Global RLI Awards.

Emaar Retail triumphed over accomplished international leisure operators who were short-listed for the category of 'RLI Global Leisure Operator 2015' Award. Evaluated by an eminent panel of industry experts, the award recognises Emaar Retail's international competency in offering innovative and exciting brand experiences for customers and achieving remarkable and sustained business performance.

Francois Yves Pain, Director, Business Research & Development of Emaar Retail, received the honour from RLI at an award ceremony held in Dubai.

Emaar Retail manages the business operations for The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall's leisure and entertainment brands including Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, KidZania®, SEGA Republic, Reel Cinemas and Njoi.

Maitha Al Dossari, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Retail LLC, said: "The honour as 'Global Leisure Operator 2015' is a true testament to the strong competencies that we have built in the leisure sector in a remarkably short span of time. We have focused on assuring exceptional visitor experiences across all our assets, and continuously add value through ongoing innovations. Across every leisure asset that we operate, our goal has been to meet and exceed the expectations of our visitors. We thank the jury members and the industry professionals for honouring us with this prestigious award."

She added: "Emaar Retail's leisure assets have today emerged as the most popular in their category. They also offer significant platforms for governments, businesses and other stakeholder groups to reach out to the community by leveraging the tremendous popularity of our leisure attractions. We are delighted that the success of our assets also contributes to Dubai's evolution as a hub for tourism and leisure."

A flagship asset of Emaar Retail, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is an integral part of The Dubai Mall's diverse entertainment portfolio. It has thousands of aquatic animals, representing several hundred species including sharks and stingrays. Dubai Aquarium's 270-degree glass walkthrough tunnel makes for incredible close-encounter experiences with fascinating underwater animals.

The Underwater Zoo takes visitors through various aquatic environments and individual aquatic displays. A fascinating addition at the Underwater Zoo is King Croc, one of the world's largest reptiles and a rare phenomenon of nature. In its dedicated home, King Croc, his female companion of over 20 years, and their recent newborn baby crocs are today one of the most popular attractions.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo also offers a range of memorable experiences for visitors of all ages. From a gentle touch of a sea star to a thrilling scuba dive with sharks, the edutainment choices start with a replica of a submarine crashed into the sea floor, where visitors can look at the ocean's more popular species through portholes.

Also within The Dubai Mall is the Olympic-size Dubai Ice Rink, a social hotspot, appealing to the entire spectrum of society, both to young and old alike. It offers several unmatched features including the newly opened Dubai Ice Rink Skating Academy.

KidZania® is an award-winning children's 'edutainment' concept, located in The Dubai Mall, and introduced to the Middle East region for the first time through an exclusive partnership with Emaar Retail. An 80,000 sq ft interactive mini-city, KidZania® combines play with learning through a fun and innovative approach.

Reel Cinemas has established itself as the ultimate destination for movie-lovers in the UAE. Reel Cinemas has 22 screens at The Dubai Mall, 6 Premier screens at Dubai Marina Mall, and 10 screens at Reel Cinemas, The Beach - bringing the total number of screens to 38. Emaar Retail will also operate the first-of-its-kind street cinema and dedicated cineplex in Town Square and a 14-screen cineplex in Al Khail Avenue.

The largest SEGA Republic indoor theme park in the region, located in The Dubai Mall and operated by Emaar Retail, has 14 high-adrenaline motion-simulated rides, an indoor spin-coaster and one of the largest selections of arcade and gaming machines in the world.

The latest edition to the Emaar Retail portfolio is the family-friendly Njoi - over 8,000 sq ft of fun for kids and the whole family - situated on the second floor of the Dubai Marina Mall.

-Ends-

About Emaar Retail LLC
Emaar Retail LLC, a premier provider of leisure and entertainment experiences, is developing a portfolio of brands in key growth markets and is strategically building new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licenses. Emaar Retail has developed and manages the business operations for The Dubai Mall's entertainment components including KidZania®, SEGA Republic, the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and the 22-screen Reel Cinemas.

In addition, Emaar Retail has introduced the first 'Premier' Reel Cinemas Cineplex and the over 8,000 sq ft family-friendly Njoi concept at Dubai Marina Mall as well as a 10-screen Reel Cinemas at The Beach. The company will continue to explore opportunities for developing leisure assets across the region.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Home / Nivine William
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
(+9714) 4507 600
kelly.Home@bm.com / nivine.william@bm.com

© Press Release 2015