Cairo, Egypt, 4th February 2015

It has been a remarkable year of achievements at the site of Mall of Egypt, the most recent project of Majid Al Futtaim in the local market. With the construction plan well underway, Mall of Egypt is projected to open to the public in 2016. The development plan of the EGP4.9 billion project includes applying cutting-edge construction techniques as well as incorporating international best practices in sustainability.

 To ensure the best results are achieved, Mall of Egypt is working with local partners to help develop, implement and eventually maintain the integrated sustainability strategy for the mall. The strategy focuses on establishing an environmental data management system in order to effectively measure and monitor efficiency in managing energy, water and waste. This data collection will ultimately help Mall of Egypt better understand resource efficiency in construction, and serve as reference for future plans.

"As a leader in the real estate and retail sector across the Middle East, we believe leading by example is a key factor in our continued success. We fundamentally believe that it is our duty to hold sustainability as a core philosophy. The region is lagging in the uptake of sustainable development, hindered by a lack of a ratings and measurement system that is tailored to local needs. The development of our localized environmental sustainability plan is a groundbreaking step toward the widespread adoption of sustainability across the region," said Ibrahim Al-Zu'bi, Head of Sustainability, Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

Supporting the local economy as well as the environment, Mall of Egypt is working to reduce its fuel footprint by procuring local materials from locations proximate to the construction site in Sixth of October City. Of the materials used during the construction of Mall of Egypt, 50% have been procured locally. Mall of Egypt has also partnered with the Egyptian waste management company, Ertekaa, to ensure all waste generated during construction is tracked and documented. In addition, site staff has been trained on how to separate waste effectively. As a result, as of December 2014, the recycling rate for the construction waste generated at Mall of Egypt since the construction started has reached over 90%, with the recycling ratio standing at 92% for the month of December 2014 alone.

"By embedding sustainability into our business, we aim at fulfilling our objective of achieving enhanced environmental efficiency while delivering benefits to communities, customers, staff and supply chains alike. From a business perspective, sustainability practices is expected to increase the value of our brand, boost long-term profitability, create new business opportunities and maintain our talented workforce.  Through our construction work at Mall of Egypt we aim to achieve gold certification under the LEED green building standard when it's completed in 2016," elaborated Ibrahim Al-Zu'bi.

Moreover, the construction site of Mall of Egypt hosts several other activities that highlight Majid Al Futtaim's focus on developing projects that play a leading role in the communities where they operate by offering great moments for everyone, every day. In collaboration with several universities, Mall of Egypt hosted over 45 engineering students for summer training as well as a job shadowing program to help young engineering students learn more about the various specialties and make an informed career choice. The engineers of the site also donated their time to offer consultation for the graduation projects of students in different engineering fields. Mall of Egypt's support expands to include school children as well, with the mall hosting field trips for schools to familiarize students with the construction process and its different phases.

The educational role of Mall of Egypt also includes offering training courses for project personnel; from technical courses for engineers to English language courses for Egyptian workers, to facilitate their communication with the foreigner staff.

Furthermore, Mall of Egypt implements a strict health and safety policy on site. The mall achieved a zero fatality rate since the start of the construction; a remarkable achievement with over 6000 workers and employees working in the site. Mall management also conducts periodical inspections and audits in the site and worker accommodation venues, to ensure maintaining the high level of safety that matches international standards.

Also during 2014, Mall of Egypt hosted a 2-day blood drive in the construction site, in collaboration with the Egyptian Blood Bank. With around 100 donors from site employees and workers, the Egyptian Blood Bank was able to collect a significant number of blood bags for the benefit of  those in need. The campaign also aimed at raising awareness among site staff about the importance of being a responsible member of the community and lending a hand to those in need, as one of Majid Al Futtaim's core values.

With a gross leasable area (GLA) of 165,000 square meters, Mall of Egypt is considered the first shopping destination of its kind in Egypt; offering unrivaled offerings including international brands, a 21-screen state of the art VOX cinema theatre, Carrefour Hypermarket, Magic Planet family entertainment centre as well as Ski Egypt, the first indoor ski slope in the continent of Africa.

-Ends-

About Majid Al Futtaim
Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man's vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure, and to create great moments for everyone, every day. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates' most respected and successful businesses spanning 12 international markets, employing over 26,000 people, and achieving the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the Middle East.

Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 17 shopping malls, 11 hotels and three mixed-use communities in MENA, with further developments underway in the region. This includes Mall of the Emirates, City Centre malls, and also 4 community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. It holds exclusive rights to the Carrefour franchise in 38 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, operating a portfolio of over 50 hypermarkets and over 60 supermarkets in 12 countries. 

 Majid Al Futtaim operates 129 VOX Cinemas screens and 16 Magic Planets across the region in addition to iconic leisure and entertainment facilities such as Ski Dubai and iFly Dubai among others. Majid Al Futtaim is parent to the consumer finance company issuing 'Najm' credit cards, a fashion retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Juicy Couture and Halston Heritage and a healthcare business. In addition, it also has a joint venture operation with Dalkia and has recently expanded into food & beverage in partnership with Gourmet Gulf.

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© Press Release 2015