One first in UAE, Two in Dubai and Best F&B Offerings in One Destination

Dubai, November 07, 2010 - Festival Centre, the award winning retail resort of Dubai Festival City, has expanded its retail profile with fourteen more diverse stores over the last three months, occupying a total floor space of 23,497 sq ft, further reiterating the strong role of Dubai festival City as a mixed-used community bringing the right mix of international and local brands to the market.

Philip Evans, Director of Commercial & Retail Leasing at Al Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) said: "Festival Centre has been recognized as the Best Retail Development by The Arabian Property Awards 2010; it's a coveted award which has been achieved by the unmatched diversity of retailers comprising many firsts in UAE and the region. We've recently added another first for UAE in Beliza Jewellers for premium quality jewellery, and two first for Dubai in Yabroud Jewellery for high grade watches and jewellery and Canterbury Clothing for unisex rugby sportswear, apparel & accessories. Our food and beverage offerings brings Burj Al Hamam - a tradition of excellent Lebanese family cuisine for over 40 years and Karam Beirut - home to the Karam family's time honoured dishes from Beirut with one of the largest menus. We are looking forward to more local and global brands joining our retail mix shortly".

Tom Miles, Director of Shopping Centres, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) added: "As well as the esteemed Five Star award recently won at the Arabian Property Awards, Festival Centre has also won two other prestigious Retail City awards, "Mall of the Year" and "Best Retail Destination of the Year" restating our outstanding achievement of recognition by our industry as leaders and innovators. These awards will provide us with the impetus to raise the bar in the pursuit of excellence".

Among the new brands added to the Festival Centre family is, Sacoche - bags and accessories, Noura Ashley - displaying Jalabiya, Abaya, ladies textiles, evening gowns and other related fashion accessories, LadyBird - kids fashion, footwear, underwear and nightwear, Stepss - Canadian operator for selling multi brand boots, shoes and accessories, Promise Lingerie - lingerie and swim wear, Beyond The Beach - unisex sports, beach, fashion wear & accessories, KHAADI - specialising in hand woven fashion, fabrics and home accessories, and RIDE - mountain bikes and other related extreme sports products, apparel, footwear and accessories, being renamed and extended. Another award-winning jewellery retailer has enriched the mall retail portfolio, Pure Gold Jewellery offering the finest pure gold, diamond and gemstones.

Soon to open, Thomsun Pure Music, a member of the Thomsun Group of companies which has been operating in Dubai and the Middle East since 1976, scheduled to join Festival Centre family to provide music lovers of all ages who want to learn an instrument with global brands such as Yamaha, Laney, Remo, LP, Hohner, Sabian, to name just a few. Two additional areas will soon be operational for the store consisting of training and dance as well as retail and wholesale. Further openings comprise, Lottusse - mens and women's shoes, bags and leather accessories, Chen One focused on home furniture, tableware, bath & bedding. In addition to more culinary specialities with Le Relais de l'Entrecôte - the famed French family steakhouse, Chi'Zen - high-end Chinese restaurant from the famous Zen franchise, and Isfahan - for Beriani and Iranian food. To follow the combined store/restaurant Chocopologie - for those with a sweet tooth, Brooklyn Diner - for fans of urban-style ambiance, and Fish & Co. - for great tasting seafood. Wellbeing and beauty add to the portfolio with Fruits & Passion, a well established Canadian personal care and ambiance products providing guests with unique products that stand apart in quality and originality.

Festival Centre has become a standard fixture for showcasing excellence during Dubai's signature events including Dubai Shopping Festival, Eid in Dubai and Dubai Summer Surprises. It is the epicentre of Dubai Festival City community, the premier waterfront development by Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate.

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About Dubai Festival City
Dubai Festival City is an Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate development project which covers 5.2 million sq m and stretches 3 kilometres along the historic Dubai Creek that optimizes the thriving and visionary spirit of Dubai.

Dubai Festival City is an established creek side, mixed use destination and premier waterfront community interconnecting finest residential, shopping, dining, leisure & entertainment, international hotels, schools, golf course, automotive park and offices. It is formed into three distinct districts and connected by a 30 kilometers internal road network and creek side promenade. This existing community offers freehold villas and apartments for sale and lease which combine traditional and contemporary architecture. Upon completion, the community will be home to 50,000 residents living in 20,000 villas and apartments, and ideal place to work for 50,000 office staff.

Dubai Festival City has recently won 3 top recognitions at The Arabian Property Awards 2010, in the categories of Best Mixed Use Development for Dubai Festival City, Best Residential Development for Al Badia Hillside Village, Dubai Festival City and Best Retail Development for Festival Centre, Dubai Festival City.

About Festival Centre
Festival Centre is home to Dubai's premier concerts and festivals and has hosted world class entertainers such as Carlos Santana, Maroon 5, Tamer Hosni, Amr Diab, Shah Rukh Khan and Kylie Minogue. It has also presented Dubai with a wide array of festivals from the Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature through to Dubai Desert Rock and Dubai Bike Week. Festival Centre hosts events, parades, entertainers and musicians each week ensuring families are always engaged and rewarded for their visit.

Festival Centre is a landmark 2m sq ft urban retail resort which forms the epicentre of Dubai Festival City now acknowledged to be one of UAE's most exciting retail, dining and leisure attractions. Set on the historic Dubai Creek, Festival Centre, offers over 400 world class retailers, 90 restaurants, cafés and bistros, a 12-screens Grand Festival Cinemas complex and a parking for more than 10,000 cars. It also boasts a stunning Marina and some of the emirate's most photographed sunset vistas.

The award winning Festival Centre has recently added the Five Star award "Best Retail Development" at the Arabian Property Awards 2010, and two other prestigious Retail City awards - "Mall of the Year" and "Best Retail Destination of the Year".

For more information, please contact:
Diala Ballout
PR Manager / Dubai Festival City
Gmasco/Al-Futtaim Group
Mob: +971 50 280 0649
Email: diala.ballout@gmasco.com

© Press Release 2010