Local developer Nakheel has appointed US firm AE7 to design its new retail centre in the Nad al-Sheba area of Dubai.

Nad al-Sheba Mall will be a 1.2 million-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment hub with 500,000 sq ft of retail space. A construction tender is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2016.

The mall will have about 200 shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets including a supermarket, department stores, multi-screen cinema, medical centre and fitness centre.

Nakheel, which now has almost 17 million sq ft of retail space in operation or in the pipeline, will build the regional mall at its upcoming Nad al-Sheba master community, where 1,500 villas are currently under construction.