First Avenue, the new shopping mall and hotel planned for Dubai’s Motor City, has signed up leading retailer Carrefour as a key anchor tenant ahead of the project’s launch early next year.

As a recent report shows that Dubai’s retail market will surpass $52 billion in sales by 2020 and the Government aims to attract 20 million tourists to the city, First Avenue is stepping up efforts to secure major retailers for the landmark development.

Carrefour, owned by Majid Al Futtaim, will open the new store in First Avenue, offering shoppers variety, value and convenience.

As per the deal, Carrefour will occupy 15,000 sq ft of space on the ground floor of the new mall’s east side.

The other major retailers for First Avenue are being announced in anticipation of the Dh500 million ($136 million) project’s launch during the first quarter of next year.  

A two-storey development stretching across 500,000 sq ft area with a one-kilometre roadway linking each end, First Avenue is designed as an environmentally friendly, contemporary, European-style mall, with an indoor-outdoor boulevard and Arabesque influences.

It is strategically sited in a rapidly growing suburban area of Dubai, close to Sports City, Arabian Ranches, Al Barari, Silicon Oasis, Nshama, Mudon, Studio City and Dubai Production City.

Dr Ramy Moussly, ATDI General Manager, described Carrefour as a key anchor tenant for First Avenue that will offer diverse product range at competitive prices, across food, beverage and essential household goods.

"In Carrefour, First Avenue has a trusted retail brand name with regional and global recognition.
Dubai is a leading regional retail centre, and consumer spending is a key economic diversification driver," he said .

"Over the coming months, we will announce more retail partners for the mall which is responding to demand from residents, tourists and the business community for a unique shopping and hospitality experience," noted Dr Moussly.

"With healthcare services and a children’s entertainment area located in the development, First Avenue is an all-week-round destination, rather than just somewhere to go at the weekend.  We will have an underground car park with 400 spaces," he added.-TradeArabia News Service