Emaar Malls Group will open its flagship mall development ’The Dubai Mall,’ a 12 million sq ft shopper’s paradise and an integral part of the Downtown Burj Dubai development, on October 30.

The new opening date coincides with an extended retail season in the region marked by the UAE National Day, Eid Al Adha, New Year and the Dubai Shopping Festival.

In one of the largest mall openings ever in the region, The Dubai Mall will offer several highly anticipated world-class attractions, hundreds of retailers and dedicated access from Sheikh Zayed Road, the city’s major highway.  

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman, Emaar Properties, said the development of global landmark projects like The Dubai Mall was a complex process that involved co-ordination with project managers, retail tenants and government authorities.

’By opening on October 30, we are not only offering customers the option of several added attractions but also better public amenities such as more parking for cars and smoother access,’ he observed.

“On October 30, all public areas of The Dubai Mall will be open to customers at the same time, creating a retail event unlike anything ever seen in the region.’

’The Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre, the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink, the world’s largest indoor Gold Souk and hundreds of retailers will open simultaneously giving visitors several retail and leisure options,’ Al Abbar added.

Alabbar pointed out that infrastructure support was vital for maximising customer inflow from specialty malls.

’The Dubai Mall is expecting some 30 million customers in the very first year of trade, and to support this, it is important to have a smooth traffic and public service infrastructure.’

’The Dubai Mall will have over 14,000 car park spaces and a dedicated bridge from Sheikh Zayed Road for direct access to the mall. The Dubai Metro is also fast progressing and will soon add to the ease of access to the mall, while other access roads are being readied to accommodate the expected record numbers,’ he added.

With a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft, The Dubai Mall will have 3.77 million sq ft of gross leasable space with more than 1,200 retail outlets, two anchor department stores and more than 120 food and beverage outlets.

Adjoining is The Address, Dubai Mall, a 5 star premium hotel with 250 rooms and 450 serviced apartments.

Jim Badour, chief executive officer, Emaar Malls Group, said The Dubai Mall was already in global spotlight and it was important that it opened with maximum shopping and leisure attractions.

’At the same time, it is also crucial to have a strong supporting infrastructure, which will make access in and out of the mall a smooth and stress-free experience. The October opening has been planned to coincide with a key retail period that immediately follows, and thus will give our retailers a period abuzz with retail activity,’ he added.

Yousif Al Ali, general manager, The Dubai Mall, explained: ’As one of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destinations, there are several retail and leisure attractions that are currently being finalised in time for the opening.’

The Dubai Mall has already made rapid progress on the Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre, one of the world’s largest indoor aquariums. It will be a spectacular showcase of over 33,000 aquatic animals, representing over 85 different marine species.

The Dubai Ice Rink will also double as a multipurpose venue for public and private functions apart from serving as the regular venue for skating enthusiasts.

Other attractions at the mall include Sega Republic, the region’s first Sega indoor theme park; KidZania, a unique children’s ‘edu-tainment’ concept; and a 22-screen Cineplex.-TradeA