Dubai shopping malls

Shopping Malls in Dubai

Thursday 24 July 2008 (UAE)

www.dubaifaqs.com

Shopping Malls in Dubai (Abu Dhabi and other emirates below)


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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 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 and 1400 or 1600 to 2200 on Fridays. 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 may 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

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 Bustan Center / Centre - turn right at Al Mulla Plaza junction. Has a few shops and a couple of cinemas. Handy if you live in the area, nothing spectacular though.
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, a cheaper place then 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 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 Mulla Plaza - last stop before Sharjah on the DXB-SHJ highway. Known more as a navigation aid than a place to go shopping.
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.
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 (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.
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 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. Shopping center retail area of 120,000 m2 and total area of complex is 360,000 m2. Not finished as of Dec 2006 but construction is roaring ahead (as you would expect with an Emaar development). Scheduled completion date is May 2008, probable completion date should be close to that. Mall location on the Dubai Marina water's edge will be appealing.
Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM) - open 22 August 2007. Lots of bargains at factory shops all under one roof. Perhaps.
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 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.
Jumeirah Plaza - small shopping center near the Magrudy's Centre on Jumeirah Beach Road.
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.
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. Reasonably good food court, two cinemas.
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 early 2009. The Dubai Mall will be 100,000 sq m bigger - that difference is close to the total size of most other large shopping malls already open in Dubai. With about 1000 retail outlets to distract visitors, MOA (location) will be the entry point for the Restless Planet dinosaur park. Website www.mallofarabia.ae under construction (Jan 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.
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.
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, 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 / Mirdif City Center - (01 Jun 2007 information). Planned completion date is late 2009. 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', 14-screen multiplex cinema, and two food courts with 60 restaurants and cafes. Developer is MAF Shopping Malls.
Oasis Center - opened April 1999, burnt down in September 2005, unclear what the future is.
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.
The Dubai Mall - originally scheduled to open November 2006, might open in 2008. Will be the largest shopping mall in the world with 1000+ shops in an area of 11-12 million sq feet (1.1-1.2 million sq m). Actual retail space about 800,000 sq m. Some posh restaurants and an Olympic ice-skating rink will occupy more space. An Emaar development.
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

Shopping Malls in Abu Dhabi


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Abu Dhabi Mall, in tourist club area next to the Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers. Has 200+ shops, 40+ food outlets, cinemas and Abu Dhabi Co-op Hypermarket. Open 1000-2200 (to 2300 on Thursdays) except Fridays 1530-2200. Hypermarket 0800-midnight, some restaurants open till 2300 or 0200. Tel +971-2-6454858 (customer service) or try +971-2-6457733, web www.abudhabi-mall.com. First opened 15 April 2001, total area 200,000 sq meters. Largest shopping mall in Abu Dhabi as of December 2006.
Al Raha Mall (Raha Mall) - on Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway next to Al Raha Beach Villa Complex, tel +971-2-5561181. Open mid 2007? Area 350,000 sq ft (35,000 sq meters) includes hypermarket, food court, about 100 retail shops and a family amusement center. Run by EMKE group associate (or subsidiary) Line Investments & Property LLC.
Al Wahda Mall (Al Wahdah / Al Wehda Mall) - shopping mall opened 31 May 2007 on Airport Rd near the Al Wahda Sports and Cultural Club. Opening hours 1000-2200, food court to 2300. Total area apparently 1.5 million sq ft (about 150,000 sq m) with 150 shops. Has a Lulu hypermarket (open 0800-2300) and a Magrudy's bookshop. Website www.alwahda-mall.com, not www.alwahdamall.com (spam) or www.alwahdamall.org (under construction). Run by EMKE group (Line Investments & Property LLC). Website has telephone +971-2-4466622, fax +971-2-4455522 but July 2007 advertisement as tel +971-2-4437070 and fax +971-2-4437171
Dalma Mall, in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) on the way to Mussafah / Mussaffah. Dalma Mall under construction, scheduled opening of Phase I by April 2009. GLA of about 150,000 sq m (about 1.5m sq ft), will have large Carrefour supermarket, cinema complex, and the usual food court, children's play area, etc. Phase one (120,000 sq m) construction is the ground and first floor, phase two (30,000 sq m) for the second floor. Website www.dalmamall.ae, tel +971-2-6814399 (CB Richard Ellis) if you want to rent shop space.
Khalidiya Mall (Al Khalidiya Mall / Al Khalideeya Mall / Al Khalediya Mall) under construction Dec 2006, early 2007 opening was planned but that ended up being January 2008. In Al Khalidiya area, 86,000 sq m (about 800,000 square feet) with 160 shops and a hypermarket. Run by EMKE group (Line Investments and Property LLC). Website www.khalidiyahmall.com (with music to drive you batty), tel +971-2-6354000
Khalidiya Shopping Center - not the same as the Khalidiya Mall, tel +971-2-6679999
Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre and Gold Centre (MZSC), tel +971-2-6318555. Has 200+ retail shops and 60+ gold and jewellery shops so it's also the largest shopping center in Abu Dhabi (along with Abu Dhabi Mall). Has 'Homes R Us', Daiso (a well-known Japanese shop), and an Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society supermarket. Website is not www.mzshoppingcentre.com (spam) as listed in some sources, and www.mzsc.ae gives a parking page (Dec 2006). Expansion plans for 2007 to increase number of shops to 400. Run by EMKE Group (Line Investments & Property LLC).
Marina Mall, near Emirates Palace hotel, tel +971-2-6818300. Phase I opened March 2001 with 160 shops and 70,000 sq m of Gross Leasable Area (GLA), phase II opened in February 2006 (only a year behind schedule) with another 180 shops and additional GLA of 45,000 sq m, a bowling alley, and indoor snow park. Marina Mall is owned and managed by National Investment Corporation (NIC), General Manager of Marina Mall is Nadeem Wajahat. The Marina Mall website www.marinamall.ae is still under construction as of July 2007 (which must some sort of internet record - no website even after six years of operations). Presumably phase III of the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi will be the opening of the website. There's also an unrelated Marina Mall in the Dubai Marina (under construction until 2008).
Abu Dhabi City Center Mall - unknown, probably the same as Abu Dhabi Mall
Abu Dhabi Shopping Mall - unknown, presumably the same as Abu Dhabi Mall
Al Ahlia Prisunic tel +971-2-6811400
Al Falah Plaza tel +971-2-6425800
Al Hosn Plaza tel +971-2-6675555
Al Khalidiya Shopping Mall - see Khalidiya Mall.
Al Muhairy Centre (Al Muhairi Center) - small mall with 20 shops in Khalidiya on Zayed 1st street opposite the Cultural Foundation, tel +971-2-6322228, web www.almuhairycentre.com (with music!). Location Map.
Al Rais Shopping Center
Dana Plaza tel +971-2-6651333
Fotouh Al Khair Centre (Ftooh Al Khair Center / Fotooh Al Khair Center) tel +971-2-6211133
Hamdan Center tel +971-2-6328555.
Hamed Center tel +971-2-6675550.
Liwa Centre tel +971-2-6320344, revamped with re-opening in late 2007. A new Home Center store opened in December 2007.
Lulu Centre tel +971-2-6779786
Mina Hyper Market tel +971-2-6734848
Raha Shopping Mall - see Al Raha Mall.
Rotana Mall
Wahda Shopping Mall - see Al Wahda Mall

Shopping malls and shopping centers in other UAE emirates

Manar Mall in Ras Al Khaimah main entrance

Manar Mall in Ras Al Khaimah - exterior of National Bank of Dubai

Shopping Malls in Ajman

Ajman City Centre - on the main road from Sharjah to Ras Al Khaimah (the coast road, not the Emirates Road extension). Movie theatres, food court, Carrefour, and other shops.
Dana Mall - first phase of 150,000 sq ft with 200 retail shops on 3 floors due to open by end of 2008 (update - due to open March 2009 says General Manager Sultan bin Ghedayer in Feb 2008). Includes a supermarket and food court, car parking for 1500 vehicles. Location on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road. Exclusive leasing agent is Halcon Real Estate LLC. Developer is Bin Ghedayer Group. Construction value AED 400 million. Expansion phase another AED 200m, including hotel, due for completion by 2013.

Shopping Malls in Al Ain

Al Ain Mall (different from the small Al Ain Center in Dubai)
Al Jimi Center (Al Jimi Mall)

Shopping Malls in Ras Al Khaimah

Al Hamra Shopping Mall (forum topic), in Al Hamra Village on the way in to RAK from Dubai, expected to open by end 2007, 100 shops in an area of about 36,000 sq m (360,000 sq ft), including the usual outlets, foodcourt and perhaps a Spinneys supermarket? Tel +971-7-2447275, website (still under construction) www.alhamramall.com,
Manar Mall - in Nakheel area. Movie theaters, food court, banks, variety of shops and a Carrefour.

Shopping Malls in Sharjah

Sahara Center - coming from Dubai on the DXB-SHJ highway, turn right at the intersection after Al Mulla Plaza (there may be a Sahara Center signpost). Good for clothes shops.
Mega Mall - on main road through Sharjah from Dubai. Has a Carrefour.

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