Bawadi Mall, the largest shopping centre in Al Ain city, witnessed a significant increase in number of visitors in 2013 which surged to over 8.5 million, said a senior official.

The mall had organised a series of entertainment activities to mark the end of the most successful year since inception.

Statistics released by Bawadi Mall show the highest increase of 13 per cent was in May 2013. More than 762,260 visitors visited the mall in November alone, up 10 per cent compared to the same period last year.

"The average footfall increase hit 5.5 per cent, with a total number of 8.56 million visitors from January to November driven by the variety of entertainment and shopping campaigns," remarked Khalid Shraim, the senior marketing manager.

“These figures are a clear proof of the lead position taken by Bawadi Mall as a preferred destination for tourists and visitors to the UAE. The mall has become one of the must-see destinations for tourists visiting the UAE. This is a tremendous success for the retail sector in Al Ain city and Bawadi Mall in particular. We believe that our marketing and communication strategies have played a pivotal role in hitting this record in the eleven months of 2013,” he stated.

“The figure of more than 8.5 million visitors to Bawadi Mall shows the level of competiveness for Al Ain city on the regional tourism map,” said Shraim.

Campaigns organised in Bawadi Mall in December cover fields like entertainment, education, and social events featuring art exhibition, traditional bands performances, international street performers and classic cars exhibition, he added.

Bawadi Mall has 400 food & beverage, fashion, entertainment outlets, and it is one of the leading destinations for tourists and residents in the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service