World's biggest mall moves to Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road

06 July 2014

Mall of the World shopping centre was originally planned for Mohammed bin Rashid City development in Dubai

Dubai now plans to build the world’s largest shopping mall, known as Mall of the World, along Sheikh Zayed road on the Police Academy site opposite the existing Mall of the Emirates, instead of in Mohammed bin Rashid City as orignally announced in 2012.

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum launched the 8 million-square-foot mall on 5 July. It will include a temperature-controlled, covered retail street network spreading over 7 kilometres, the world’s largest indoor family theme park, a 3 million sq ft wellness district catering to medical tourists, a cultural district comprising theatres based on New York’s Broadway, the Celebration Walk, similar to the Ramblas Street in Barcelona and shopping streets based on London’s Oxford Street. It will also have an arena accommodating 15,000 people.

The project, which will be developed by Dubai Holding, will be developed in phases according to market demand and will be connected to 100 hotels and serviced apartment buildings with 20,000 hotel rooms.

In 2012, Dubai Holding announced plans to build Mall of the World as part of its Mohammed bin Rashid City development located between Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Al-Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road. It is unclear how the change in location of Mall of the Wolrd will impact the scale of the Mohammed bin Rashid City development.

New projects have been planned for the Police Academy site before. Sama Dubai, which was part of Dubai Holding, had planned develop a project known as Jumeirah Hills on the Police Academy site in 2008. The developer put the project on hold in November 2008, along with other developments as property prices in Dubai plummeted.

Dubai has launched the world’s largest mall several times before with varying degrees of success.

Emaar Properties’ Dubai Mall was billed to be the world’s biggest when it was launched in 2003, although other shopping centres had eclipsed it by the time it opened in 2008.

Other potential world-beating projects have not been completed. In 2007, Dubai Properties announced plans to build one as part of the Bawadi development in Dubailand. Dubai Properties was planning the project as part of a joint venture with the local Al-Ghurair Group.

In 2005, the local I&M Galadari Group announced plans to build the world’s largest shopping mall as part of its City of Arabia development in Dubailand, known as Mall of Arabia.

Neither the Bawadi mall or Mall of Arabia were built.

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