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Shopping Malls in Dubai  

Tuesday 07 September 2010 (UAE)   
 
   
      
 
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Shopping Malls in Dubai

Abu Dhabi shopping malls | Dubai shopping malls | other UAE shopping malls

As more and more shopping malls are built in Dubai, residents wonder why another shopping mall is needed. And yet, as soon as a new one is opened, it seems to fill up very quickly. To enjoy a wander through a shopping mall, visit Mercato in Jumeirah to get a taste of an Italian market (no, we know it's nothing like the real thing) or Ibn Battuta Mall to learn a bit of history about the famous (he's even in wikipedia) Arabian traveller and have a coffee in the most splendid Starbucks in Dubai.

In Dubai, 35 shopping malls, with about 3500 stores, cover an area of 14 million sq meters (151 m sq ft or 14 sq km) said Easa Adam, the head of the Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG), in February 2008.

Glossary
  • DCC - Deira City Center (or Centre)
  • GLA - Gross Leasable Area - means retail shopping area, doesn't include car parks etc
  • IBM - Ibn Battuta Mall
  • MAF - Conglomerate of UAE companies, chairman is Majid Al Futtaim. MAF Shopping Malls is a shopping mall developer.
  • MOE - Mall of the Emirates, Ministry of Education
  • MOTE - Mall of the Emirates
Opening hours for Dubai shopping malls

Some shops will have different from normal shopping center hours eg supermarkets may open 0800 or 0900 to midnight. Fridays can be confusing with some shops only opening at 1600 in the afternoon, while others are open from 1000. Specific information is given in the list of Dubai and UAE shopping malls below, but hours can vary. As a general rule, shops are open 1000-2200 Saturday to Thursday, 1400 or 1600 to 2200 or 2400 on Fridays, and some of the larger shopping centers open late on Thursday-Saturday (from 1000-2400). Busy times are Friday afternoons and evenings (almost everyone has Fridays off) and Thursday evenings. Other evenings are not exactly quiet though. Mornings are the best time to avoid crowds.

  • Ramadan hours are usually extended to midnight for shops and 0100 or 0200 (yes, really!) for supermarkets. Shops might be closed around Iftar (1700-1900 depending on time of year).
  • During Ramadan almost all food outlets will be closed during daylight hours (there might be one or two open in the larger malls).
  • Shops often stay open until midnight on other important dates eg New Years Eve, the night before Eid celebrations, Christmas Eve.
List of shopping malls in Dubai
  • Abu Hail shopping mall (under construction), Union Co-op supermarket?
  • Al Ain Center - Bur Dubai, small centre with mostly computer shops upstairs, and a useful food court and internet cafe downstairs. Spinneys is connected via a walkway - park your car above Spinneys (entrance round the back).
  • Al Attar Shopping Mall - small center in Karama on Kuwait St, tel +971-4-3351020 or +971-4-3344455. Website might be www.alattargroup.com.
  • Al Barsha Mall, Al Barsha - opening June 2010? Union Co-op supermarket?
  • Al Bustan Center / Centre & Residence - turn right at Al Mulla Plaza junction when travelling in Sharjah direction from Dubai. Shopping mall and apartments for rent. About 100 shops, Fantasy Kingdom amusement and entertainment area (24,000 sq ft). Residential building has 640 suites, swimming pool, gym, business center, meeting rooms, and a couple of restaurants. Close to Dubai International Airport.
  • Al Ghurair Centre or Al Ghurair City, Al Rigga Road in Deira. Open 1000-2200 except Fridays 1400-2200. The first large shopping mall in Dubai (opened in 1978 before the world had heard of Dubai), a cheaper place than the newer ones, has over 200 shops. Not completely self contained - some of the cafes open directly on to the main road for free carbon dioxide with your coffee. Al Ghurair Group borrowed AED 1.3 billion ($350m) in April 2009, the middle of a global economic crisis, to finance expansion of Al Ghurair City. That's what you call bal..., er, confidence.
  • Al Ittihad Mall, Muhaisnah - planned opening June 2009 (no chance, maybe first half of 2010)? Union Co-op supermarket opened April or May 2010.
  • Al Khaleej Centre - Bur Dubai, small centre with random shops - mostly IT/computer related, and food court in basement, across the road from Al Ain Center. Paid parking but useful to know if you're looking for somewhere in the area to park. Etisalat has a customer service centre in this mall.
  • Al Mizhar Mall - small mall with West Zone supermarket, near the Aswaaq Mizhar community center on the same road.
  • Al Mulla Plaza - last stop before Sharjah on the DXB-SHJ highway. Known more as a navigation aid than a place to go shopping.
  • Arabian Center - tel +971-4-2845555. New (in March 2009) shopping center in Mirdif / Al Mizhar, about a third the size of Mall of the Emirates, with movie theaters (open mid-2009), WorldMart hypermarket, food court, children's play area, and even a few shops.
  • Arena Mall - Dubai Sports City (DSC), under development November 2008 to 2010 end of 2013. GLA about 1.88 million square feet on 2 levels, with 300-340 shops, educational family entertainment centre, 12 screen cinema complex, 2 food courts, a Carrefour hypermarket, family entertainment and education center, 7000 car parks, direct connection to the DSC cricket stadium and indoor stadium. Opening date delayed until 2013 according to The National 10 March 2010 "The opening of Arena Mall in Dubai Sports City has been postponed until 2013 ..."
  • Aswaaq Dubai - a chain of community centers and supermarkets being established in Dubai and the UAE. First Aswaaq stand-alone supermarket opened May 2009 in Al Sufouh (area 1000 sq m). Aswaaq plans to open 40 supermarkets and 20 community centers. Other Aswaaq centers in Nad Al Hamar and Al Mizhar. Centers under construction in Al Barsha, Al Twar, Al Warqaa, Umm Suqueim. Aswaaq toll-free tel is 800-279227 (ASWAAQ).
  • Bawadi Mall Dubai - planned for the Bawadi development in Dubailand. Confusing figures released but could be one of the largest shopping centers in the world when if it gets built. Unrelated to the Bawadi Mall in Al Ain which opened in 2009.
  • Bin Sougat Centre (BinSougat Center), Rashidiya, tel +971-4-2863000, PO Box 55316. Shops open 10am-10pm Sat-Thu (some shops closed from 1-5pm), 5pm-10pm Fri (coffee shops open for lunch). Small, 2-level shopping center with a Spinneys supermarket (open 8am-11pm). First opened July 2001, expanded in 2003. Shops include Ajmal Perfumes (perfumes), Costa Coffee (coffee), Damas (jewellery), Baskin Robbins (cholesterol), Dome Café (food), Etisalat (telephone connections), Jumbo (electronics), Pier Import (furniture and household goods), Red Earth (cosmetics), San Marco Household (stuff), Union National Bank (money).
  • Bur Juman Centre (BurJuman, Bur Jaman, BurJaman Center) - on the Trade Center Road in Bur Dubai. Open 1000-2200 except Fridays 1400-2200. Expanded in 2006 from 200 to 300 shops, will also have movie theatres and more restaurants. A more exclusive destination than MOTE, DCC and IBM. Car parking charges 20 dhs per hour but do not apply if you spend more than AED 100 in the mall (last checked July 2009).
  • Century Mall Dubai - next to Al Shabab Club in Al Mamzar, 150,000 sq ft retail space. Carrefour hypermarket, Jungle Bungle amusement center, food court. Shops include Jacky's, Damas, Giordano, Nayomi, Hang Ten and Sheetal. Owned by Al Safeer Group, opened in 2003.
  • Deira City Center (Deira City Center, DCC, sometimes called 'City Center Mall'), open 1000-2200 every day, opposite Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. Very busy in the evenings, parking is difficult. Good selection of shops, has a noisy food court and a Carrefour. IKEA Dubai (a Swedish furniture chain with strange product names like 'blorp', 'pnuk', and 'abba') used to be in DCC but moved to Dubai Festival City near the Garhood Bridge in 2006. BinHendi / Bin Hendi Avenue is a large collection of luxury retail shops in DCC that opened in December 2005 and closed (mostly) in April 2009. Car parking charges after the Dubai Metro start date on 09 September 2009: free for first 3 hours weekdays, 4 hours weekends. An extra hour if you've been to a movie (keep your ticket). After that, charges range from 20 dhs (weekdays) to 60 dhs (weekends) per hour. Update 09 September 2009: carparking to be free during weekends and public holidays (at least for now).
  • Dragonmart (or Dragon Mart), on the Dubai-Hatta road, after Emirates Rd junction heading in Hatta / Oman direction Hatta on the right-hand side (location). Many small shops (about 4000 with total area of 150,000 sq m) selling Chinese manufactured products. Not quite the same as other shopping malls in Dubai but an interesting place to visit if you want a plastic bucket or a cheap plasma TV from China.
  • Dubai Mall - see 'The Dubai Mall' below.
  • Dubai Marina Mall - in Dubai Marina (not the same as 'Marina Mall' in Abu Dhabi). With hotel and apartments, total development cost is over AED 1.4 billion. Opening date 22 December 2008. Mall location on the Dubai Marina water's edge is appealing.
  • Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM) - open 22 August 2007. Lots of bargains at factory shops all under one roof. Perhaps.
  • Emirates Co-op Al Mizhar - open 2008? Large Emirates Co-op supermarket with opening hours 0700-0200, small food court upstairs, MacDonalds downstairs. Some Emirates Coops in other locations have small malls also.
  • Grand City Mall, Al Quoz Industrial Area 4, opened July 2006. Small (75,000 sq ft) low budget shopping center catering to workers living in the area. About 35 shops. Includes ANTA Travel, Karama Medical Center, Better Life Pharmacy, department store, Grand City Hypermarket, money exchange, ATMs (NBAD, Standard Chartered). Operated by Regency Group.
  • Grand City Mall Jebel Ali (name not confirmed)? Opening date unknown (construction started April 2007?) Small (50,000 sq ft) low budget shopping for labourers. Developers - Regency Group.
  • Grand Shopping Mall, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1, opened 2004. Small (40,000 sq ft) low budget shopping mall with about 20 shops, targeted to the workers living in the area. Operated by Regency Group. Includes Grand Hypermarket, money exchange, ATM (Standard Chartered).
  • Hamarain Shopping Centre (Hamrian / Hamriyan / Hamarayan / Hamariyan Center - in Deira, difficult to spell but has pretty lights on the outside.
  • Hamriyah Shopping Center - in Al Hamriyah, not the same as the Hamarain Centre.
  • Ibn Battuta Mall (Ibn Batuta / Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall, IBM / IBSM) not as large as MOTE, but much more fascinating to walk through (if a shopping center can ever be called fascinating). Several themed areas - Andalusia, China, Egypt, India, Persia, Tunisia which reflect the travels of a 14th century Arab explorer named Ibn Battuta. Scattered throughout the mall are displays of documents and other artifacts related to Mr Battuta's travels and history of those regions. All items are reconstructed but look authentic if you squint your eyes a bit.

    Instead of the ubiquitous Carrefour, Ibn Battuta Mall has Geant, another French superstore selling groceries and cheap underpants. Otherwise, mostly the same shops you'd find anywhere but less crowded. The only Lego shop in Dubai is here, also the only IMAX cinema in Dubai (if you don't know what that is, it's similar to sitting in the front row of a normal cinema). Food court at Jebel Ali end has fast junk food. Food court at Dubai end has slow junk food. Both areas have a good selection and there's a couple of posher restaurants in the China Court area. Several Starbucks with one in a spectacular atrium in the middle of the mall. There are electric golf carts to ferry you from one end of the mall to the other, costs 5 dhs. Usually easy to find car parking. Developer is Nakheel.

    Ibn Battuta phase II expansion will double the size of IBM with additional themed areas based on Hejaz, Morocco, Turkey, and Yemen. In March 2009, Nakheel announced expansion plans would be delayed 12 months.
  • Jumeirah Plaza - small shopping center near the Magrudy's Centre on Jumeirah Beach Road.
  • Jumeira Beach Center - another small shopping center on Jumeira Beach Road, blue color with dark glass. Has a Burger King at the front.
  • Jumeirah Town Center - yet another small mall on Jumeirah Beach Road, sister centre to the Mercato Mall, and within walking distance. Tel +971-4-3444161 or +971-4-3440111.
  • Khan Murjan - (Khan Murjan images) underground souk, part of the Wafi Center complex, was due to open by end 2007 but delayed till early 2008. Based on a 14th century Suq / Souq - the Khan Marjan Caravanserai in Baghdad, Iraq (renovated as a restaurant in the early 1990s, unknown what state it's in now), and with further inspiration taken from other souks around the Middle East. Consider it more of a tourist attraction than a full-on shopping center, a bit like Souk Madinat or Souk Al Bahar, while the Wafi Mall should satiate your purchasing desires. Well worth a visit though.
  • Lamcy Plaza - large pink building on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Karama exit and opposite the American Hospital / Al Nasr Leisureland. Clothing shops always seem to have sales, and the top floor location of the supermarket seems odd. High atrium has a London Tower Bridge halfway up where you can sit and have coffee. Decent enough food court, two cinemas, parking difficult in evenings. Operated by Lals Group.
  • Magrudys Center, Jumeirah Beach Road - the original Magrudy's bookshop and shoeshop, Gerard's cafe (where you may still be able to find the occasional Jumeirah Jane) and a few other small shops.
  • Mall of Arabia - expected to be almost the biggest shopping mall in the world when it opens with area of about 10 million sq ft (1 million square meters) - four times the size of MOTE. Expected opening date was early 2009 but revised (in April 2009) to end of 2010 for phase I. The Dubai Mall is about 100,000 sq m bigger - that difference is close to the total size of many other large shopping malls already open in Dubai. With about 1400 retail outlets to distract visitors, MOA will be the entry point for the Restless Planet dinosaur park. And if your bags are too heavy to carry home, there will be a hotel on the roof where you can park yourself and have a rest. Website www.mallofarabia.ae under construction (January 2007).
  • Mall of the Emirates (MOTE or MOE) - biggest in the UAE when it opened in November 2005 with area about 2.4 million square feet (220,000 sq m) and 400 shops, has an indoor ski field at one end along with a hotel. Parking can be difficult at busy times (evenings and holidays). Will look small once Dubai Mall and Mall of Arabia open. Car park charges apply after start date for running of Dubai Metro (09 Sep 2009) but first few hours free.
  • Marina Mall - see 'Dubai Marina Mall' for the one in Dubai Marina, or 'Marina Mall' in the Abu Dhabi section below for the one in Abu Dhabi.
  • Mazaya Center - Sheikh Zayed Road near Defense Roundabout, two floors, relatively small size shopping center including a Spinneys Market, Homes R Us furniture, Pier Import.
  • Mercato Mall - Jumeirah Beach Road near Dubai Zoo. Open 1000-2200 except Fridays 1400-2200. Quaint Italian themed centre with a good Virgin store (the music shop), a few clothing shops, Spinneys, Home Centre (closed), small food court, a couple of nice restaurants with one Italian one upstairs overlooking the Beach Road, several movie theatres, and lots of cobblestoned paths. First opened in October 2002.
  • Mirdiff City Centre shopping mall - (01 Jun 2007 information). Planned completion date is late 2009 with opening date scheduled for 16 March 2010 (28 February 2010 update). A 2.6 billion Dh mall with 183,400 sq m (about 1.8m sq ft) of GLA in Mirdiff district, location Emirates Road (direct access from interchange 55) and Tripoli Street, carparking for 7,000 cars. About 430 retail outlets, including a Carrefour hypermarket. Also 'edutainment area for kids', 10-screen multiplex cinema, and two food courts with 60 restaurants and cafes. Developer is MAF Shopping Malls.
  • Nakheel Retail Shopping Malls (a division of Nakheel Retail) - plans to build 5 new shopping malls in Dubai worth AED 11 billion ($US3 bn) (announced April 2008) - Palm Mall on Palm Jumeirah, Palm Mall on Palm Deira phase I, Ibn Battuta Mall Phase II to double the size of the existing Ibn Battuta Mall, India Mart for Indian wholesale and retail shopping, Great Mall Dubai also at International City. Cubellis Costa International (CCI), a design firm, are partnering with Nakheel for 2 of them - the IBM expansion and Great Mall Dubai. CCI are also designing the expansion of Dragon Mart. Myer, an Australian department store, are planning to expand into Dubai through the Nakheel shopping malls. Nakheel Retail had ambitious plans to become the largest mall developer in the Middle East by 2012 and the largest in the world by 2018. In March 2009, Nakheel announced that their retail development program would be delayed by 12 months.
  • Oasis Center - Sheikh Zayed Road, opened April 1999, burnt down in September 2005. Reopen Sunday 29 March 2009.
  • Palm Jumeirah shopping mall - a Nakheel Retail development on the Jumeirah Palm Island, announced April 2008, opening date unknown.
  • Palm Strip shopping mall - one of many small shopping centers on Jumeirah Beach Road, opposite The One furniture shop and the Jumeirah Mosque. Tel +971-4-3461462. Open 10am to 10pm except Fridays open 4pm or 5pm to 10pm.
  • Reef Mall
  • Safeer Mall Dubai - see Century Mall Dubai for Al Mamzar, or Safeer Mall Sharjah for Sharjah-Dubai highway shopping center
  • Souk Madinat - next to the Burj Al Arab in Al Sufouh / Umm Suqueim. Part of the Madinat Jumeirah complex. Not really a large shopping center but worth a visit for the traditional styled architecture and pleasant atmosphere along the (man-made) canals.
  • Souk Al Bahar - at the foot of the Burj Dubai in the Downtown Dubai development. Opened December 2007. Similar to Souk Madinat with many of the same restaurants. Also a pleasant place to stroll around but not where you'd go for a mega-shopping expedition. Has a Spinneys supermarket downstairs.
  • SouqExtra! - a chain of small community shopping centers across the UAE, developed by the Lootah Group. First one opening in Ewan Residences area of Dubai October 2009
  • Sunset Mall (under development) - in the Sunset Development on Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeira 3. About 100 shops and restaurants with seaviews. The Sunset Mall developer, Dubai Investment Properties, is marketing it as a luxury shopping destination (which almost everywhere in Dubai does - even the Luxury Chicken Gutting and Hair Cutting Saloon in the depths of Deira) but in this case, given the location on the beach in Jumeirah, it might be a believable claim. Might be open in September 2009 (delayed from April 2009).
  • The Dubai Mall - off Defense Roundabout on Sheikh Zayed Road, near the Burj Dubai, finally opened in November 2008. The largest shopping mall in the world with 1200+ shops (eventually) in a total area of 12 million sq feet (1.1 million sq m). Actual retail space about 3.8m sq ft. The Dubai Mall includes posh restaurants, an Olympic ice-skating rink, and the largest goldfish bowl you've ever seen. New to the UAE shops include Waitrose (a UK supermarket, open Nov 2008), Galeries Lafayette (a French department store, open May 2009), Bloomingdales (a US department store, open Feb 2010), and Hamleys (a UK toy shop, open Nov 2008).
  • Times Square Center - Sheikh Zayed Road, near Mall of the Emirates (on the same side). Opened May 2007. Small shopping mall with a large Sharif (not Sharafi) electronics store (huge in fact), and the "Chill Out" Ice Lounge, or Ice Bar, where you sit on ice chairs, and eat and drink from plates and glasses made of ice. They provide warm clothes so you don't end up with frostbite. No alcohol, but you don't have to worry about your ice cream melting. Other shops include Axxezz, Bayti, Biella, Caribou Café, Chrio, Color Nail, Duxiana, Edition Limitee, Evoluzione, Extreme Freshies, InterSport, InWear, Jealous 21, Joe Bloggs, Karisma, Lamborghini Café, Mikyajy, Nayomi, The Padi, Toys R Us, Sanrio, Storage Ideas, V-moto, Watch Square.
  • Wafi Centre (Wafi City Center / Wafi City Mall) - Sheikh Zayed Road near Garhood Bridge on the Bur Dubai side of the creek. Oud Metha area. Open 1000-2200 except Fridays 1600-2200. Small when it first opened with expensive luxury goods shops. Has expanded to around 200 shops now. Marks & Spencer (M&S, Marks & Spencers, or Marks & Sparks) have a presence, Thomson sells musical instruments, there's a limited foodcourt upstairs, and a music lesson institute above the food court. It's a quieter shopping centre than, say, MOTE. Except for Thursday nights and Friday afternoons/evenings. The complex also includes a spa, health, beauty, and sports club, accommodation, a couple of fine restaurants and bars (Wafi Rooftop is a good place to hang out), and Dubai's Planet Hollywood restaurant.
  • Wafi Underground Souk - see Khan Murjan above
Last update Tuesday 17-Aug-2010
Related pages
Related websites (new window)
  • www.arenamall.ae - Arena Mall Dubai Sports City (DSC) website. Mall under construction.
  • www.chinamexmart.com - Dragonmart in Dubai website (inconsistent availability)
  • www.cityofarabiame.com - City of Arabia and Mall of Arabia information
  • www.dubaishoppingmalls.com - sounds like an obviously useful website, but is actually spam (when checked May 2010).
  • www.ibnbattutamall.com - Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall in Dubai website
  • www.mecsc.org - Middle East Council of Shopping Malls (MECSC) website
  • www.towncentrejumeirah.com - Jumeira Town Center website
  • www.easternct.edu list of largest shopping malls in the world, and descriptions from Eastern Connecticut State University (USA). Repeated and formatted better in wikipedia.
  • Dubai directory - add your link free

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