Local developer Nakheel and local contractor United Engineering Construction (Unec) have officially signed the AED4.2bn ($1.14bn) contract to build Deira Mall in Dubai.

Unec submitted the lowest bid and was selected for the contract by Nakheel last year.

The retail centre will be built on the Deira Islands development in Dubai and will have a total development value of AED6.1bn. Nakheel says it will be the biggest mall in the Middle East when it is completed, and will be the UAE’s largest in terms of leasable space.

It will have more than 1,000 shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment outlets across 4.5 million square feet of leasable space, and a 3.8 million sq ft multi-storey car park with 8,400 parking bays. A key design feature will be a retractable glass roof will bring natural light into the complex and allow for open-air shopping during cooler months.

Deira Mall is the centrepiece of Deira Central, Nakheel’s nine million sq ft mixed-use community at Deira Islands that also contains 50 residential and hotel towers.