Bawadi Mall, the largest leisure and shopping destination in Al Ain, recorded a footfall of 10.4 million in 2015, an increase by 3 per cent over 2014.

According to Bassam Saleh, Bawadi Mall’s marketing manager, the mall succeeded in attracting shoppers from all segments of society throughout the year, mainly from the UAE.

All-round growth in operations across the 400 retail outlets was witnessed during the period. New openings took place in 2015 to cope with the growth in population, increased per capita income, and higher demand for quality and innovative services.

Ikea, the Swedish retailer, famous for its ready-to-assemble furniture and home accessories, launched a sales concept that is new to the UAE – a customer ordering and collection point in Bawadi Mall.

The Urban Structure Framework Plan of Al Ain has projected that number of tourists in the city would reach 710,000 in 2020 and 1,071,000 by 2030. The same report suggests that retail space would reach 800,000 sq m.

“We had successful participation in Abu Dhabi Summer Surprises in which one of our shoppers won a Mercedes-Benz car. We were delighted with the overwhelming response to the largest number of activities held in one year. The growth in population and increase in demand for services contributed to our growth,” said Saleh.

Saleh cited the example on the recent launch of the third branch of Al Noor Hospitals Group, Abu Dhabi’s largest private healthcare provider eight next to Bawadi Mall.

“Al Ain has all the elements of a global destination for residence and tourism. As a leading service provider for retail and entertainment, we take the responsibility to meet all the needs of families who visit us. I believe that our success is reflected in the large number of visitors to the mall this year, which exceeded all our expectations,” concluded Saleh. – TradeArabia News Service