Al Farwaniya, the developer of Abu Dhabi’s up-and-coming entertainment, dining and leisure destination Reem Mall, has appointed Shane Eldstrom as its new chief executive officer.

An upward move from his previous position as chief operating officer for Reem Mall, Eldstrom is now responsible for carrying forward the company’s strategy, corporate vision and preservation of shareholder interests.

Former chief executive Sam Sidiqi retains his position as chairman of the board, said a statement from the developer.  

With a career that spans 22 years, Eldstrom has held numerous senior and executive positions in the commercial real estate industry specialising in retail, working in organisations including Bentall Capital, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Dubai Properties and Al Ghurair Group.

He also boasts unique insight into the retail industry, having headed real estate for a retail group operating throughout the GCC.

Eldstrom was an active member of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC) board of directors since 2011 before serving as the elected president of MECSC from 2014 to 2016.

His new role will witness Eldstrom lead the development process for the $1-billion Reem Mall project, poised to become home to more than 450 retailers including 85 restaurants, a hypermarket, cinema, an extensive array of entertainment and edutainment anchors and the world’s largest indoor snow play park.

Reem Mall is currently under development in partnership with Kuwait-based National Real Estate Company (NREC) and United Projects for Aviation Services (UPAC).-TradeArabia News Service