Dubai's latest shopping mall, the Dh128 million Al Mamzar Shopping Centre with a distinctly Turkish flavour, was soft-launched yesterday by Tufan Alpman, Turkey's consul general in the UAE.
"Turkey's presence in the UAE has increased considerably, with exports having surged to Dh1.62 billion by end-2002, from Dh1.29 billion as at end-2000 when I first took office here," Alpman noted.
"The number of Turkish firms based in Dubai and the Northern Emirates has more than doubled to 65 from 30."
He added Turkey participates in 14 UAE trade fairs today, compared to eight. "We expect two-way trade to continue charting strong growth, particularly if the regional construction boom keeps up."
The consul general indicated more Turkish investment would likely flow into the local economy in the immediate future.
Samer Ghazi, the shopping centre manager, meanwhile noted Al Mamzar is the first mall in the Middle East with a strong one-country flavour.
"We will offer quality brands and a variety of product lines from Turkey, catering to the entire family," he asserted.
He added the group has other plans in terms of more shopping complexes in Dubai, but explained these would likely materialise only next year at the earliest, after the existing complex established itself.
The official acknowledged the mall took some time to get off the ground, but pointed out this was due to the management being careful in its choice of tenants.
"It also took time for our Turkish tenants to firm up plans for their outlets here, since Turkey itself has been undergoing an economic crisis; but we currently enjoy 80 per cent occupancy, with the level set to climb beyond 90 per cent by next week itself."
The centre houses 65 shops offering 50,000 square feet of retail space.
The ground floor includes a travel agency, pharmacy, supermarket and cafes, while the mezzanine houses shops stocking clothes, accessories and perfumes, family entertainment centre Kiddie Land, and Anatolia, claimed the largest Turkish restaurant in Dubai.
The Royal Waters Health Spa, underground parking for 200 vehicles apart from 300 more slots at the surface level, and allied utilities complete the facilities on offer.
Ghazi accepted the shopping malls sector in Dubai is getting crowded, possibly leading to keener competition in some locales, but pointed out the shopping centre's own location midway on the Dubai-Sharjah Road is ideal, giving it a virtual monopoly in a catchment area housing 160 residential buildings.
"Families in Dubai and Sharjah can look forward to not only a new landmark in Dubai's shopping map, but also a refreshingly new kind of shopping experience," he said.
Gulf News
