Majid Al Futtaim Investments helps build a legacy for Dubai

Dubai, UAE, 31 October 2004 - Construction on the Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre (DUCTAC), the region's first modern, non-profit theatre, continues to move forward and is scheduled to open in September 2005 at Mall of the Emirates. 

Offering a complete range of cultural performances and activities such as dance, drama, painting, photography and writing, the Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre will occupy 12,000 square meters of Mall of the Emirates, the most exciting retail and leisure complex in the region, upon completion. "We are at a stage in time where we are building history. The Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre offers activities for people of all ages and backgrounds," stated Peter Walichnowski, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Investments. "A development of such stature is the first creative community centre for all of Dubai."

The development includes a two level theatre that accommodates over 500 individuals, a 150 flexible seat studio, rehearsal spaces, along with various art galleries, photography exhibitions, and photo classrooms and darkrooms. Furthermore, the Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre will be home to an exclusive Art Centre as well as a Music School, offering courses in visual arts and music to the thousands of visitors who are expected to visit Mall of the Emirates every day.

According to the DUCTAC committee, it has been estimated that AED 15 million is required to complete the project by September 2005. Majid Al Futtaim Investments, a leading investor in the project, contributed approximately half of that amount in addition to the foundation at the Mall of the Emirates site.  An additional AED 8 million is also needed to fund the project's opening, operation costs and potential upgrades.

Scheduled to open in less than a year at Mall of the Emirates, the Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre will provide a platform for shoppers and visitors to bring back culture, art and music into their lives. Mall of the Emirates will include over 2.4 million sq ft of shopping, leisure and entertainment space, including the region's largest Harvey Nichols department store, the largest Carrefour hypermarket in Dubai, a 14 screen multiplex cinema, and two hotels with over 900-rooms. It will also incorporate Ski Dubai, the Middle East's first indoor ski resort, featuring one of the world's longest indoor ski slopes and a play area where children and parents can have a true winter experience with real snow.

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© Press Release 2004