- Users on the super app to enjoy “Red Packet” monetary gifts all year
Dubai, UAE: Mall of the Emirates has introduced WeChat Pay, the integrated payment feature in one of the world’s largest standalone super app WeChat, making it easy and convenient for Chinese visitors to make cashless transactions at the mall. The shopping and leisure destination has also become the first shopping and lifestyle destination in the UAE to own a verified WeChat official account.
WeChat is a multipurpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app by Chinese technology company Tencent, which boasts 1.083 billion monthly active users. As part of its efforts to enhance convenience and elevate the shopping experience for the destination’s growing Chinese visitors, Mall of the Emirates now offers the seamless e-payment facility to customers who use WeChat. The service is made possible in the UAE through Royal Cloud Pay, which provides retailers the ability to accept payments made by mobile devices using WeChat. With key brands at the mall already on board, Mall of the Emirates is working to secure the adoption of WeChat Pay among many more retailers in the coming months.
WeChat is the most popular social networking app among Chinese citizens. Roughly, 83 percent of all smartphone users in China use the app for everything from chatting to making purchases. More than 9 out of 10 Chinese opt for mobile payment over cash, with WeChat Pay being the preferred choice. Mall of the Emirates’ initiative to offer this cashless payment
option supports Dubai’s recent efforts to attract Chinese citizens and make the emirate the preferred destination for Chinese travellers.
“In this age of connectivity, we are continually diversifying our services to make it convenient for our shoppers to access all that we have on offer at the click of a button. To own a verified WeChat official account allows us to be closer to our valued Chinese consumers who use
this social network to get all information,” said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Managing Director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties - Shopping Malls (UAE, Bahrain & Oman).
“We are also very proud to announce our collaboration with Tencent to offer simpler digital payment solutions through WeChat Pay. Having this e-wallet feature at the mall is a significant step in enhancing our Chinese visitors’ experience and create great moments whenever they visit. They can also take advantage of customised services and a wide range of choice, from the best hotels to family leisure options all in one place,” he said.
Ahmad Al Khaja, the CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment said: “Our strategic partnership with prime lifestyle destination, Mall of the Emirates and WeChat Pay will allow us to provide innovative and customised experiences with seamless payment options offered through the integrated social platform.
“Such collaborations are underpinned by our ongoing China Readiness Strategy where we continue to enhance the visitor experience across a number of touchpoints across the emirate. As tourism from China goes from strength to strength, we continue to work with our network of public and private sector stakeholders to further tap into the potential of this market.”
Mall of the Emirates has become the first mall in the country to own an official verified WeChat account. Users who follow the mall on the social network will receive updates on discounts and entertainment, bespoke offers, and access to the store directory and services.
The mall will also run a “Red Packet” rewards programme for users of WeChat Pay. Based on the Chinese tradition of hongbao (monetary gift to loved ones), WeChat users in China will be able to scan Mall of the Emirates’ QR codes throughout the year and receive a coupon which can be redeemed for shopping at any of the stores at the mall.
Additionally, from January 28 until February 28, users can scan a QR code at participating merchant stores to collect coupons. The discount will be automatically used when the user's spending via WeChat Pay meets the threshold.
According to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, China is now the fourth-most popular country of origin for tourists travelling to Dubai from abroad, representing a compound annual growth rate of 12 per cent in 2018.
Mall of the Emirates’ presence on WeChat through its verified official account follows the lifestyle destination’s other distinct, targeted services, including Mandarin-language store guides, Mandarin-speaking guest services personnel at the customer service desks and a special VIP lounge, which will elevate the shopping and leisure experience for Chinese residents and tourists.
For more information, please visit: www.malloftheemirates.com , www.facebook.com/MallOfTheEmirates , or www.instagram.com/malloftheemirates .
-Ends-
Media Contact:
Wallis: +971 4 275 4100
Disclaimer: All facts and figures in this release are accurate at the time of issuance.
About Mall of the Emirates
Mall of the Emirates is the region’s first shopping resort and flagship luxury destination and welcomes close to 42 million visitors annually. Home to more than 630 international stores, totalling 248,000 sqm of retail space, the mall offers more than 80 of the world’s most prestigious brands housed in the Fashion Dome and on Level 1’s Luxury Wing such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada, as well as the first and largest Apple store in the UAE. A dining destination with more than 100 restaurants and cafés, Mall of the Emirates also features major department stores including Harvey Nichols - Dubai and Debenhams, as well as fashion, lifestyle, sports, electronics, home furnishing outlets and the largest Carrefour hypermarket in the city.
With direct access to the Dubai Metro, the mall’s unique family leisure offerings include Ski Dubai – the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort and snow park, VOX Cinemas – the largest cinema ever built in the Middle East with a 24-screen entertainment complex and a Magic Planet. Two 5-star hotels, the Kempinski Mall of the Emirates and Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel, adjoin the mall.
Mall of the Emirates’ AED 1 billion multi-stage redevelopment project, Evolution 2015, completed in September 2015 introduced one quarter of the region’s best-loved shopping destination completely new to shoppers, including brands making their UAE debut, new luxury, dining, lifestyle and entertainment concepts, and a retail extension on Level 2.
In 2012, the International Council of Shopping Centers ranked Mall of the Emirates as the seventh most profitable shopping centre in the world by sales per square foot, and first in the Middle East. Mall of the Emirates opened in 2005 and is located in Al Barsha on Sheikh Zayed Road. The mall is owned and managed by Majid Al Futtaim the leading shopping mall, retail, and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa.
About Majid Al Futtaim
Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure 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 15 international markets, employing more than 44,000 people, and obtaining the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region.
Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 24 shopping malls, 13 hotels and four mixed-use communities, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, City Centre malls, My City Centre neighbourhood centres, and four community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. The Company is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in 38 markets across Middle East, Africa and Asia, and operates a portfolio of more than 257 outlets in 15 countries.
Majid Al Futtaim operates 355 VOX Cinema screens and 37 Magic Planet family entertainment centres across the region. In addition to iconic leisure and entertainment facilities such as Ski Dubai, Orbi Dubai and Ski Egypt, among others. The Company is parent to the consumer finance company 'Najm', and a Fashion and Home retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, AllSaints, lululemon athletica, Crate & Barrel and Maisons du Monde. In addition, Majid Al Futtaim operates Enova, a facility and energy management company, through a joint venture operation with Veolia, a global leader in optimised environment resource management. The Company also owns the rights to The LEGO Store and American Girl in the Middle East and operates in the food and beverage industry through a partnership with Gourmet Gulf.
Please follow us on:
https://www.youtube.com/user/majidalfuttaim
https://twitter.com/majidalfuttaim
https://www.linkedin.com/company/majid-al-futtaim
https://www.facebook.com/MajidAlFuttaim
https://www.instagram.com/majidalfuttaim
© Press Release 2019Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
