Emaar Retail, a leading provider of leisure and entertainment, welcomed more than 4.75 million visitors to its varied attractions in Dubai during 2011, recording a growth of over 13 per cent in visitor numbers compared with 2010.

Reel Cinemas, the cinemas owned and managed by Emaar Retail at The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall, welcomed more than 2.2 million patrons, with Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo welcoming over 1.1 million residents and tourists, said a company statement.
 
Sega Republic, KidZania and Dubai Ice Rink also reported robust visitor turnout, it added.

Arif Amiri, CEO of Emaar Retail said: “The retail sector has traditionally been one of the backbones of Dubai’s economy. The city’s retail sector has been reporting consistent and sustained growth with Dubai serving as the hub for nearly 2.5 billion people from across the Mena, the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia and CIS countries, in addition to the fast-growing interest from markets such as China.”

'To sustain the competitive advantage of Dubai’s retail sector, it is important to offer our visitors truly innovative retail and leisure choices. Today, leisure is an integral part of retailing and the challenge is to create innovative offerings that drive visitor traffic,' he noted.

Emaar Retail, said Amiri, has set clear benchmarks in the retail and leisure sector of Dubai, which is highlighted by the impressive growth achieved by our leisure attractions in 2011.

'Emaar Retail also demonstrated its industry thought leadership with a clutch of awards last year, highlighting its commitment to overall operational excellence,' the official observed.

'Emaar Retail’s leisure attractions - KidZania, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and Dubai Ice Rink – won the Superbrands 2011 laurel, highlighting the strong brand equity achieved,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service