Several international have made their debut in Al Ain through the newly opened Bawadi Mall, said its general manager at the mall’s official launch recently.

The mall was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative for Eastern Province, attended by VIPs, media and the general public.

“Bawadi Mall comes at a time where Al Ain city is expanding dramatically,” explained Bashar Tamimi, general manager, Bawadi Mall.

“Bawadi Mall provides an ideal shopping experience for people of the UAE and beyond. The shopping sector in the UAE is very robust, and this explains why top brands are setting their sights on this region, away from their home countries,” he added.

“New brands have made their debut in the Al Ain city through our mall, such as Zara, Mango, MAX , Marks & Spencer, Kotton, New look, H&M, ACE Hardware amongst others. The mall has attracted more than 380 retail outlets, including international names.”

The new mall, which saw a footfall of 360,000 a month during the soft opening in April, is a reflection of the vibrancy of the shopping sector in the UAE in general, and Al Ain in particular.

Al Ain’s gross lease area (GLA) is quite low, against 2.2 in the US, thus making it a fit candidate for absorbing further growth in spite of the current global financial crisis, added Tamimi.

The 140,000 sq mt Bawadi Mall, with a gross leasable area of 110,000 sq mt, positioned as Al Ain’s ultimate shopping, dining and leisure destination is located only five minutes from the town centre on “Mezyad Road”, which can be conveniently accessed, avoiding the congested city roads.

Bawadi Mall, developed by Nael & Bin Harmal Investment, houses a mix of international as well as regional retail brands of fashion, food, jewellery and much more, all in a bright, spacious, and inviting environment, distinguished by a wide curved vaulted skylight that soars above the main corridor and its main three spacious courts.

The 10,000 sq mt “Family Entertainment Center” which offers exciting ambience to the whole family, features a varied mix of fun, ranging from the “Roller Coaster” to the “Fun Ski Village”, amongst many other attractions.

The mall also features eight movie theatres, a 16-lane bowling alley, a food-court and several casual dining alternatives. – TradeArabia News Service