Reem Mall, a leading shopping, leisure and entertainment destination in Abu Dhabi, said it has signed a strategic agreement with Dubai Holding Group to bring its new retail offering to the UAE capital.

Dubai Holding Group represents some of the finest international fashion and lifestyle franchise stores in the region, and is one of the Middle East’s most progressive and fastest growing retail organisations representing famous brands such as Zara, Zara Home, Flamant, Promod, Stradivarius, Women’s Secret, Gerard Darel, Sfera and Delvaux.

A 2.9-million-sq-ft retail, leisure, dining and entertainment destination, Reem Mall is being developed by leading Kuwaiti groups National Real Estate Company (NREC) and United Projects for Aviation Services Company (UPAC) on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island at an estimated cost of $1 billion.

The leisure destination project will comprise around 450 stores, including 85 F&B (food and beverages) outlets and a range of family-focused entertainment offerings including the world’s largest indoor snow-play park. It is expected to be launched in 2018.

It will also house the world’s largest indoor snow-play park, a 125,000-sq-ft indoor amusement space, characterised by unique entertainment for the entire family including sledging, zorbing and luge.

Commenting on the deal, Shane Eldstrom, the chief operating officer for Reem Mall said: "We are very pleased to announce this new partnership with Dubai Holding Group, and the exciting new brands joining our retail offering. Today’s announcement is yet another milestone for the project which bears testament to the ambitions of Reem Mall."

"Our leasing programme is well under way, with a number of leading retailers and global dining and lifestyle brands poised to become a part of Reem Mall’s prime shopping, gastronomic and entertainment portfolio," noted Eldstrom.

Ali Bin Saeed Al Shamsi, the chairman of Dubai Holding Group, said: "Reem Mall’s vision to create a stylish, bustling and best-in-class shopping and lifestyle centre for the region has inspired us to bring our portfolio of international brands to this outstanding development."

"Reem Mall has gone beyond traditional conceptions of a mall to create a mixed-use development with a sense of place and community cohesion built in – a centre for social life and gathering as well as shopping and dining," he added.-TradeArabia News Service