DUBAI: The Dubai Mall, the world's biggest shopping center, is going to become more bigger as its developer Emaar Properties plans to expand the mall by 1 million square feet to the existing 12 million square feet development.
The expansion to the mall, which hosted more than 54 million visitors in 2011 to become the world's most-visited shopping and leisure destination, and also recorded robust visitor arrivals in January 2012, will take The Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai into the next era in retailing, entertainment and lifestyle.
Emaar's team has been working on the expansion plan for the past 12 months. The new addition will include the introduction of new hotel rooms as well as entertainment and lifestyle choices. Located in the heart the prestigious Downtown Dubai, described as "The Centre of Now," The Dubai Mall currently has over 1,200 stores and 160 F&B outlets. This will be further strengthened with several additions and extensions to its retail spread.
"The Dubai Mall is a powerful demonstration of the competencies that Emaar has developed in retail, regarded as one of the core sectors of Dubai's economy," Mohamed Alabbar, chairman, Emaar Properties, said in a statement.
"The record visitor footfall of over 54 million achieved by The Dubai Mall in 2011 is a compelling testament on the success achieved by Dubai and the mall in attracting visitors from all over the world. We are further building on this through our new expansion plan. The addition of modern retail, leisure and hospitality choices as part of the 1 million sqft expansion will take The Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai into the next era in retailing and lifestyle development."
Alabbar explained that the expansion is in line with the continuous evolution in customer expectations and aspirations. "Just as the expectations of customers are changing, the retailing sector is also witnessing rapid shifts. Through our expansion program, we will use the most advanced technologies to offer an integrated mix of retail and entertainment that will meet the requirements of our visitors."
Emaar recently launched a project to build a 820-metre long pedestrian link that directly connects the Burj Khalifa/The Dubai Mall Metro Station with the mall, scheduled to be operational in 2013. "The overall expansion program will not only consolidate The Dubai Mall as the most visited shopping and tourism centre but will also establish Downtown Dubai as the most desirable lifestyle destination in the world," said Alabbar.
© Arab News 2012
