The Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall
دبي مول

The shopping mall's interior
Location Downtown U.A.E,
United Arab Emirates
Coordinates 25°11′51″N 55°16′45″E / 25.19750°N 55.27917°E / 25.19750; 55.27917Coordinates: 25°11′51″N 55°16′45″E / 25.19750°N 55.27917°E / 25.19750; 55.27917
Opening date 8 May 2008
Developer Emaar Properties
Management Emaar Malls Group
Owner Emaar Properties
Architect DP Architects Pte Ltd.
No. of stores and services 1,200+
No. of anchor tenants 6
Total retail floor area 502,000 square metres (5,400,000 sq ft)
No. of floors 4
Parking 14,000+
Public transit access

Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station

  Red Line
Website www.thedubaimall.com

The Dubai Mall (Arabic: دبي مول‎‎) is a shopping mall in Dubai and the largest mall in the world by total area. Along with West Edmonton Mall in Canada, it is the nineteenth largest shopping mall in the world by gross leasable area.[1] Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is part of the 20-billion-dollar Downtown complex, and includes 1,200 shops.[2][3][4] In 2011 it was the most visited building on the planet, attracting over 54 million visitors.[1] Access to the mall is provided via Doha Street, rebuilt as a double-decker road in April 2009.[5]

Twice delayed, Dubai Mall opened on 4th November 2008, with about 1000 retailers, marking the world's second largest-ever mall opening in retail history behind West Edmonton Mall. However it is not the largest in gross leasable space, and is surpassed in that category by several malls including the New South China Mall, which is the world's largest, albeit largely derelict, Golden Resources Mall, SM City North Edsa, and SM Mall of Asia.

Statistics

The Dubai Mall recorded 61,000 tickets sold for the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre in the first five days, following its opening.[6] The Dubai Mall hosted over 37 million visitors in 2009, and attracts more than 750,000 visitors every week.,[7][8] In 2010 it hosted 47 million, and saw footfall increase by around 27 percent over 2009, despite the economic crisis.[9] In 2012, Dubai Mall continued to hold title of world's most-visited shopping and leisure destination, and attracted more than 65 million visitors, an increase of more than 20 percent compared to the 54 million recorded in 2011. It attracted more visitors than New York City with over 52 million tourists in 2012, and Los Angeles with 41 million.[10][11] The numbers also surpass visitor arrivals to all landmark leisure destinations and theme parks in the world including Times Square (39.2 million), Central Park (38 million), and Niagara Falls (22.5 million).[12]

Statistics
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Number of visitors 39 Million[13] 47 Million[14] 54 Million[14] 65 Million[15] 75 Million[16] 80 Million[17] 92 Million[18]

Description

Outside Dubai Mall near the Fountain.

Over 13 million square foot (equivalent in size to more than 50 football fields), the Dubai Mall has a total internal floor area of 5.9 million square feet (55 ha) and leasable space of 3.77 million square feet (35 ha), about the same as the West Edmonton Mall.[19]

It also has a 250-room luxury hotel, 22 cinema screens plus 120 restaurants and cafes. The Mall has over 14,000 parking spaces across 3 car parks, with valet services and a car locator ticketing system.[20] The mall has won five awards – two awards at the Retail Future Project Awards at Mapic, Cannes, in 2004, for Best Retail Development Scheme (Large) and Best Use of Lighting in a Retail Environment[21] and the Dubai Mall brochure collected three awards at the Summit Creative Awards 2005 in Portland, Oregon – the Gold award for Best Art Direction / Graphic Design, Silver award for Best 4-colour B2B Brochure, and a Judges Special Recognition award.[21]

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

Dubai Aquarium and Under Water Zoo
Tunnel of Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo was designed by Peddle Thorp and is managed by Emaar Entertainment. The aquarium, located in The Dubai Mall, showcases more than 300 species of marine animals, including sharks and rays.

Its 270-degree acrylic walk-through tunnel lets visitors see a variety of underwater animals up close. A special 'lunar-cyclic' lighting system changes the ambience of the tank depending on the time of day.

The Underwater Zoo is located above the aquarium, and provides an interactive approach to educating children and visitors on the ecology and sustainability of marine life. The journey consists of three ecological zones: Rainforest, Rocky Shore, and Living Ocean, each of which features a variety of aquatic animals including penguins, crocodiles, piranhas, giant spider crabs, water rats, sea horses, and jellyfish amongst others.

The attraction was awarded with the ‘Certificate of Excellence’ award by TripAdvisor in 2012, and won the ‘Images Most Admired Retailer of the Year – Leisure & Entertainment’ at Images RetailME Awards 2012.

In 2010, the aquarium had a small leak. While no people or creatures were injured, the mall had to be evacuated for the visitor's safety.

The Mall adopted an International Standard of Ethics and Animal Welfare Policy in its development and operation.[22][23][24]

Dubai Ice Rink

Ice Rink inside Dubai Mall.

The Mall's Dubai Ice Rink multi-purpose venue uses refrigeration technology to create a 1.5 inch (38 mm) ice bed, twice the thickness of an NHL ice rink. With a seating capacity of 350, Dubai Ice Rink is a family-oriented attraction open to the general public.

Managed by Emaar Entertainment, the rink is the place-to-go for ice skating in Dubai, and host a variety of international, competition-standard events. The rink can also be converted to a multi-purpose hall with a capacity of up to 2,000 guests, featuring a 20x10m LED display.

The Dubai Ice Rink Skating Academy (DIRSA) is a member of the International Skating Institute and offers individual membership to its students, which allows for official testing, documentation and legal participation in competitions and shows.

The Dubai Ice Rink provides professional ice skating lessons and caters to most ages through its Learn-to-Skate programme. It also has lessons for figure skating, ice hockey, Disco, and Mega Skate sessions.

SEGA Republic

SEGA Republic, a 76,000 sq ft (7,100 m2) indoor theme park, was opened on 21 August 2009 where visitors can enjoy over 150 amusement games. It is a park that is mainly dedicated to SEGA's video game icon Sonic the Hedgehog.[25][26]

The 76,000 sq ft indoor park features 15 rides and an array of amusement games, including motion simulators, classic carnival games, skill games, and a wide array of redemption games.

Emaar Entertainment is continuously expanding the theme park with new rides. Recent additions to Sega Republic rides include Xyclone, Robotnik and Rope Rush, a form of obstacle course.

The park includes ‘Lazeraze’, a laser maze, as well as ‘Racer’ Bumper Cars. It also features a "soft play area" for smaller children.

KidZania

KidZania® is an award-winning children’s ‘edutainment’ concept, in The Dubai Mall, introduced to the Middle East through an exclusive partnership with Emaar Entertainment LLC.

An 80,000 sq ft interactive mini-city, KidZania allows kids to play and learn by mimicking activities traditionally done by adults in real life. As in the real world, children perform “jobs” and are either paid for their work or pay to shop or be entertained.

The indoor edutainment centre is built to scale for children, and accurately reflects the workings of a typical city.

KidZania maintains a high ratio of staff to children for safety and to improve the overall experience. In addition, kids wear RFID wristbands that keep track of their activities and whereabouts, reassuring parents on the safety of their children.

KidZania has won the approval of the UAE Ministry of Education for field trips as part of the academic curriculum.

Reel Cinemas

Reel Cinemas is a 22-screen cinema, also managed by Emaar Entertainment, in The Dubai Mall. It boasts ergonomically designed seats, increased legroom, and an advanced projection and AV system as standard.

One of the largest theaters in the region, the megaplex features four luxury cinema suites and 17 commercial halls, including the first THX-certified cinema in Dubai.

Rainforest Cafe

The interior of the Rainforest Cafe in the mall.

The Dubai Mall is home to one of the newest Rainforest Cafe locations. Having opened in 2009, it faces the aquarium and is made to emulate tropical ruins with moving ruins and light shows, which are only found at this location.

Shops

The Dubai Mall contains more than 1,200 shops.

In October 2009 it was reported that the world's largest candy store had opened in Dubai Mall.[27]

Construction

The mall was built by a joint venture of Dutco Balfour Beatty, Al Ghandi/CCC[28] and Turner Construction for Emaar Properties and was scheduled to be completed in 2006, claiming to be the size of 50 "international-sized football (soccer) pitches". Most of the workers used in construction of the mall were Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan guest workers.

In December 2012, Emaar Properties have announced the completion of the Metro Link which is a 820 m long elevated, air-conditioned footbridge that connects Burj Khalifa/The Dubai Mall Metro Station to the Dubai Mall.[29][30]

Expansion

In June 2013, the Dubai Mall commenced its phase one of its expansion plan by increasing the total retail floor area by 1 million sq. ft. so as to accommodate more visitors. The project is set for completion for the beginning of 2017 [31]

World records and achievements

Dubai Mall near the Fountain at Dusk.

Incidents

In media

The Dubai Mall was featured in the documentary show called Megastructures that aired on the National Geographic Channel.[41]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Collin Anderson (2012). Evolution of a Retail Streetscape: DP Architects on Orchard Road. Images Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-86470-462-4.
  2. ↑ "The Dubai Mall". Emaar.com. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  3. ↑ "Dubai Mall: A milestone harks back to humble origins". Gulfnews.com. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  4. ↑ Lonsway, Brian. "Mall: Very Large. Center of Now. Fast." In The Dubai Mall. Singapore: DP Architects 2012.
  5. ↑ Ahmed, Ashfaq (19 April 2009). "Double-decker roads will be open by month's end". Gulf News. p. 2. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  6. ↑ "Dubai Mall welcomes 60,000 visitors to new aquarium". edgardaily.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  7. 1 2 "The Dubai Mall crosses landmark 30 million visitors". The Dubai Mall. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  8. ↑ Stefania Bianchi (25 February 2010). "Leak at Dubai Mall Aquarium Forces Evacuation". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  9. 1 2 "Emaar's Dubai Mall posts 27% rise in footfall in 2010 – Retail". ArabianBusiness.com. 2011-04-24. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  10. 1 2 "Dubai Mall sees 65 million visitors in 2012". altdubai.com. 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  11. 1 2
  12. 1 2 "Dubai Mall claims world visitors record". The National. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  13. ↑ "Press Release Detail". emaar.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Dubai Mall is world's most visited destination in 2011". Arabian Business. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  15. ↑ "Dubai Mall retail sales up 24% in 2012". Arabian Business. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  16. ↑ "75 million visitors in 2013 puts Dubai Mall 'top of the shops'". 7DAYS UAE. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "Dubai Mall Sees 80m Visitors in 2014". Gulf Business. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  18. ↑ Paromita Dey. "Emaar Malls records 37% rise in H1 2015 profits". constructionweekonline.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "Dubai Mall set for August 28 opening". GulfNews.com. April 9, 2008. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  20. ↑ "The Dubai Mall opens with 600 retailers". Tradearabia.com. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  21. 1 2 The Dubai Mall, Emaar, retrieved 12 March 2006
  22. ↑ "EZHeights free classifieds ads in Middle East. Buy-sell Properties, items, cars and find or offer jobs and more..". ezheights.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  23. ↑ www.albawaba.com, Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre Sets Guinness Record for 'World's Largest Acrylic Panel' at The Dubai Mall Archived November 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  24. ↑ "zawya.com, Aquarium at The Dubai Mall scoops world record". Zawya.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  25. ↑ "SEGA Republic". The Dubai Mall. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  26. ↑ "Sega Republic indoor theme park opens its gates at The Dubai Mall". AMEinfo.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012.
  27. ↑ World's largest candy store opens in Dubai.
  28. ↑ "Burj Dubai Mall". Balfour Beatty Website. 2008-04-16. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  29. ↑ "Press Release Detail". emaar.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  30. ↑ Shafaat Shahbandari, Staff Reporter. "Commuters hail Metro-Dubai Mall walkway". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  31. ↑ "Press Release Detail". emaar.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  32. 1 2 3 "Top 10 construction world record holders". ConstructionWeekOnline.com. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  33. ↑ "Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre sets Guinness Record for the 'World's Largest Acrylic Panel' at The Dubai Mall". The Dubai Mall. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  34. ↑ "Inactive". Blog.dubaidreams.net. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  35. ↑ "World's biggest sweet shop opens in Dubai – Odd News". newslite.tv. 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  36. ↑ "Dubai Mall smashes record with 5 million visitors". Hotelier Middle East. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  37. ↑ "Dubai Mall named best shopping experience – Retail". ArabianBusiness.com. 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  38. ↑
  39. ↑ "Aquarium leak hits Dubai Mall". Gulfnews.com. 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  40. ↑ Dana Moukhallati. "Police resolve workers' protest in Downtown Dubai". thenational.ae. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  41. ↑ Archived July 26, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
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