430 retailers to feature in the mall, 200 being new and unique to Mirdif, Deira and Northern Emirates

Dubai, UAE, November 3, 2009: Majid Al Futtaim Properties, owner and developer of the region’s most impressive shopping malls, has announced that Mirdif City Centre is on track for a 16 March 2010 launch.  Over 90% of our retailers are on schedule to open their stores for business on the first day the mall opens.

The company, whose nine shopping malls in the MENA region attract over 120 million visitors every year, said that the total construction of the building is now 94 per cent complete with over 95 per cent of the mall leased out.

At a media briefing held this morning, Peter Walichnowski, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Properties said that the Majid Al Futtaim name is not only synonymous with success and setting new standards in the field of shopping mall development but also timely delivery.

Speaking of the company’s future developments in the region, Walichnowski said, “The retail sector in the Middle East and North Africa remains relatively untapped, and that provides a huge potential for Majid Al Futtaim Properties. We’re looking at over 14 projects in UAE, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, which will take our total gross leasable space from approximately 750,000 square metres in 2009 to over 2.2 million by 2015. Majid Al Futtaim Properties will be the largest developer and manager of retail, leisure and entertainment integrated malls in the UAE and MENA region.”

Mirdif City Centre will be Majid Al Futtaim Properties’ latest development in the North Eastern Corridor of Dubai, its third in the Emirate of Dubai after the very successful Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre. Over 200 of the 430 retailers at the Centre will be new to Mirdif, Deira and the Northern Emirates and will include names such as Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PF Chang’s, American Eagle, Office Depot and 1847 Men’s Grooming, just to name a few.

Shahram Shamsaee, Senior Vice President, Asset Management added: “We are on schedule to have over 350 store fit-outs complete a month before the mall actually opens, along with the surrounding road network scheduled for completion early March. We are working closely together with the government authorities, contractors and retailers to ensure our customers enjoy an impressive, fully opened, engaging, retail and entertainment experience from day one.” 

An impressive 25,000 square metres of this spectacular super regional development is dedicated to entertainment and leisure including a new and dynamic entertainment leisure concept which will umbrella many unique and exciting attractions such as:

  • iFLY Dubai, an indoor sky-diving centre

  • Cite Des Enfants, a children’s edutainment centre

  • Soccer Circus, a fully interactive football attraction

  • Aquaplay, a new water-based ‘edutainment’ recreation facility featuring interactive ‘aquatraptions’ aimed at 2 to 8 year olds

“Mirdif City Centre offers the best of the best;  including a broad range of top international brands, some new and innovative offers which have never-been-seen before in the region, along with a strong leisure-entertainment component which will appeal to every age group.  We have worked hard to create a mall that has very unique character and offers a distinct difference to any other mall in the UAE.” concluded Shamsaee.

-Ends-
 
About Mirdif City Centre:
Mirdif City Centre is the latest super regional development in the UAE by Majid Al Futtaim Properties, the leading retail, entertainment and leisure pioneer in the MENA region. Mirdif City Centre offers a spectacular architectural backdrop to a very impressive list of retail and entertainment concepts - many of which are new to the area.

Strategically located on Emirates Road and Tripoli Street along Dubai’s Eastern growth corridor, Mirdif City Centre will offer unrivalled access with 12 entry and exit points at different levels of its 7,000 vehicle car parks. The shopping mall is the first in the region to follow ecologically friendly and sustainability compliant construction techniques from its early design stages and is in the process of acquiring a LEED certification.

With a gross leasable area extending to 196,000 square metres, it will be home to 430 world class stores and a market mix that includes brands from retailers in key categories such as convenience, service, fashion, home, electronics, entertainment and leisure, giving shoppers plenty of choice. Key anchor stores include Carrefour, Cinestar Cinemas, Debenhams, Emax, Centrepoint, Home Centre and Fitness First.

The Centre’s entertainment includes some new and unique leisure concepts such as a special children’s ‘edutainment’ centre, an indoor ‘iFLY’ sky diving experience, a 12 lane bowling alley, a soccer circus, an aqua play area for younger children and a 10 screen multiplex cinema.

For more information, please contact:
Komal Manglani
Polaris Public Relations
Tel: +9714-3415555
Fax: +9714-3415588
Email: k.manglani@polaris-me.com 

© Press Release 2009