UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has opened the expansion of Dragon Mart, a massive retail destination and the largest Chinese trading hub outside mainland China, located on Oman-Hatta highway in Dubai, UAE, said a report.

With this launch, The Dragon Mart 2, built at a cost of Dh1 billion ($272 million), will add a hypermarket, cinemas, entertainment facilities, restaurants, retail outlets, hotel, additional car parks and much more, enhancing the breadth and depth of the retail unit, reported the Emirati news agency Wam.

The expansion includes a 2.2-million-sq-ft retail component including a showroom-style area for events and exhibitions.

The new Dragon Mart extension also has a two-tower residential component with 1,120 one- and two-bedroom apartments, and a separate, 250-room hotel, said the report.

Sheikh Mohammed later toured the mart along with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Lt General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, the deputy chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai and other officials.

He inspected the facilities at the second largest centre in the world for Chinese products outside the People's Republic of China. The two-storey mart, comprising 570 shops and 520 kiosks, also boasts of 4,500 parking spaces and a leasing area of more than 1 million sq ft.

During his tour, Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah on its new components which include Novo Cinema with 12 giant screens as well as other facilities.