Leading property developer Nakheel has officially opened the Al Furjan Pavilion, the latest project in its Dh16-billion ($4.35 billion) retail expansion and the fourth in its growing collection of community retail centres.

With a development value of Dh110 million ($30 million), Al Furjan Pavilion is the fifth Nakheel Malls project to open this year and brings the company’s 2016 retail project delivery value to more than Dh1.5 billion ($408 million).
 
The first of two pavilions at Al Furjan and the fourth in Nakheel’s growing collection of neighbourhood retail hubs, the centre has 24 shops, restaurants and services across 87,000 sq ft of leasable space, plus a car park for more than 300 vehicles, said the company in its statement.

Retailers include a Spinneys supermarket, 10 food and beverage outlets and a wide variety of shops selling everything from books to beauty services. In addition, a medical centre and branch of the Jebel Ali Village Nursery will open soon, it stated.

Located at the southern end of Al Furjan, the complex also features a sports and recreation hub with a restaurant, swimming pool, sports court and gym, scheduled to open by the end of Q1 2017.

Nakheel is also set to build a mosque at the pavilion, with construction starting next year, it added.

Speaking at the launch, Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah, one of the first customers through the doors at Al Furjan Pavilion, today, said: "2016 has been a momentous year for Nakheel Malls, with Dh1.5 billion ($408.3 million) worth of projects and over 1.5 million sq ft of retail space delivered."

"Al Furjan Pavilion is the heartbeat of this vibrant community, providing residents with somewhere to shop, dine, socialise, relax and keep fit, all in one convenient location. What better way to end the year than to celebrate this latest milestone for our retail business and for Al Furjan investors and residents?," noted Lootah.

Other retail projects opened by Nakheel 2016 are Dragon Mart 2, Ibn Battuta Phase One extension and Metro link, Club Vista Mare on Palm Jumeirah and International City Pavilion.

A second Nakheel Pavilion at Al Furjan, including a mosque for 500 people, is also under construction, with anticipated completion in Q1 2017. Located on the western side of the community, it will contain around 35 shops, restaurants and cafes, plus a gym and nursery.

Other Nakheel pavilions open and operational can be found at Jumeirah Park, Discovery Gardens and International City, with more on the way at Jumeirah Islands and Badrah.

Al Furjan, one of Nakheel’s most popular and fastest-growing communities, is already home to more than 5,000 people, with a projected population of over 65,000 when complete.-TradeArabia News Service