Gulf Related, a regional real estate development company, said it has achieved a major construction milestone with the structural completion and topping out of Al Maryah Central, a 2.8-million-sq-ft next-generation mall coming up in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Al Maryah Central, which is set to open in 2018, will be home to the first Macy's outside of the US and the first Bloomingdale's in Abu Dhabi. It will combine with The Galleria, Abu Dhabi’s luxury shopping and dining destination, to create a fully integrated and seamless experience that will cater to the diverse tastes and expectations of all of Abu Dhabi’s residents and visitors alike.

The milestone marks another key stage in the construction of the mall located in the heart of Al Maryah Island, with the remaining construction proceeding at full pace, said a statement from the company.

Al Tayer Group, Dubai Holding Group, Majid Al Futtaim Group, Chalhoub Group and others have all signed leasing agreements to bring 60 more brands to Al Maryah Central, including a 35,000 sq-ft flagship Zara, All Saints, Lululemon and Nars.

The mall will also be home to a 21-screen Vox cinemas with Imax, which features the exclusive dining experience Theatre by Rhodes, a collaboration with Michelin Star chef Gary Rhodes, it stated.

Kevin Ryan, the chief operating officer and managing director, Gulf Related, said: "The topping out milestone highlights the rapid progress we have made since construction began in August of 2015. Al Maryah Central, together with The Galleria, will deliver a new kind of retail experience in Abu Dhabi, offering a cosmopolitan mix of shopping, dining and entertainment on par with the world’s greatest cities."

Marcus Truscott, the managing director of Multiplex Middle East, pointed out that this milestone served as a testament to the hard work and collaboration between Multiplex, Gulf Related and its other partners to deliver a world-class shopping destination in Abu Dhabi.

"Al Maryah Central is a truly forward-thinking and innovative development that will only enhance the Capital’s retail, dining and entertainment sector with its unique offering. We look forward to continuing to work with Gulf Related to ensure the project’s successful completion in 2018," he noted.

The mall’s structure includes a a 185,000 meter-cubed concrete frame poured in situ. Approximately 15 million man hours have been dedicated to this achievement to-date, said the statement from Gulf Related.

Al Maryah Central will offer a diverse mix of retail, dining, entertainment and family activities to the anticipated 15,000 people who will live and work on Al Maryah Island.

The next-generation mall will also be easily accessible to a core catchment of almost half a million people living within a ten-minute drive, it added.-TradeArabia News Service