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Sunday 08 November 2009 (UAE)
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SouqExtra! (Souq Extra, SoukExtra, Souk Extra)
SouqExtra! (rather than SoukExtra) is a chain of smaller shopping centers in the UAE with a neighbourhood community-focused them and the slogan "My Favorite Place". SouqExtra was first announced at Abu Dhabi Cityscape 2007 (dates 10-12 May 2007) by Saleh Abdullah Lootah of the Lootah Group, the founder of the SouqExtra concept. He said the first four SoukExtra shopping malls would be ready in Dubai by mid-2008. So far it looks like the delay will be a little over 1 year, about average for developments in Dubai. Mr Lootah also said there would be 9 SouqExtra centers by 2009 and 20 by 2012. As of April 2009, there are none.
Souk Extra Ewan Residences
Souq Extra Ewan Residences will be the first SouqExtra! to open (opening expected in September 2009 November 2009). Ewan Soukextra will be on one floor. The Ewan Residential area is in the South-East corner of Dubai Investment Park (DIP) phase I. Shops and services opening in the Ewan Souqextra include:
- Spinneys supermarket - open 15 October 2009, opening hours 0800-2200 Saturday to Friday.
- Al Farooj Restaurant
- Bare Beauty Saloon
- Dubai Library
- Life Pharmacy
- Redha Al Ansari money exchange.
SouqExtra! locations
| Location | Emirate | Telephone | Opening date | Hours | Area | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planned | Expected | in sq ft | |||||
| Abu Dhabi | end-2009 | 2010 | |||||
| Ajman | 3 stores? | ||||||
| Al Batheen | Al Ain | Sep 2009 | 2010 | 80,000 | expanded | ||
| Al Barsha | Dubai | mid-2008 | 2009 Q4 | ||||
| Al Muhaisnah | Dubai | mid-2008 | 2009 Q4 | ||||
| Al Quoz | Dubai | mid-2008 | 2009 Q4 | ||||
| Dubai World Central | Dubai | ||||||
| Ewan Residences | Dubai | mid-2008 | Nov 2009 | Spinneys | |||
| Mirba / Merbih City | Fujairah | 2009 Q1 | 2010 | 80,000 | |||
| Ras Al Khaimah | 2009 Q1 | end-2009 | 100,000 | ||||
| Sharjah | end-2009 | 2010 | |||||
| Western Region | |||||||
Souq Extra shops and services include
- beauty and hair salons
- car wash facilities
- childrens play areas
- children's nurseries
- coffee shops and cafes
- community halls for birthdays, community activities, parties, and other events
- fast food shops
- grocery stores and supermarkets
- gymnasiums and fitness centers
- photo processing
SouqExtra! Al Merbah Fujairah
- Project consultant confirmed but not named in 15 June 2009 press release
- Facilities, services, and shops will include auto service, beauty and cosmetics, cafes, children's play area, fashion and fashion accessories, pharmacy, restaurants.
- AlMerbah center on one floor
SoukExtra! Al Bateen (AlBateen) Al Ain
- Originally planned as a 26,000 sq ft centre, now up to 85,000 sq feet on two floors, with 225 parking spaces and 30 outlets.
- Expected to open in Q3 2009 according to 24 May 2009 press release announcing that leasing opportunities were available.
- Shops and services will include cafes, children's entertainment ares, fashion outlets for men and women, restaurants.
Souq Extra information
- Area of each Soukextra mall is about 25,000-100,000 sq feet (varies depending on location and which press release you read). So assuming those figures are Gross Leasable Area (GLA), even the largest one is still only a tenth of the size of the Oasis Center (which itself is about a third of the size of Mall of the Emirates).
- Construction of the first SoukExtras in Dubai begain in September 2007 (according to a SoukExtra press release 22 September 2007). Delays (construction, or otherwise) pushed back the opening date of the first SoukExtra in the Ewan Residences from mid-2008 ... to September 2008 ... to October 2008 ... to end of 2008 to ... October 2009 ... to (add your own guess here).
- Investors in the SouqExtra chain other than the Lootah Group, include the Abbasi Group, Bonyan Holding, Emirates Post, National Bonds Corporation.
- Expansion plans were to open 10 SoukExtra outlets by 2010, updated to 20 outlets in July 2008 press release. Other countries after the UAE will include the GCC area - possibly Oman and Qatar initially. A press release 27 October 2009 said SouqExtra! planned to open 75 centers across the Middle East by 2019. At the time of the press release there was one SoukExtra sort of open, at Ewan Residences.
- SouqExtra Ajman will establish a store (or 3 stores) on 3 plots of land belonging to the Ajman Sports Club according to a 22 December 2008 press release that said SouqExtra and the ASC had signed a deal to establish "community supercentres in three parcels of land owned by the club."
- Extra! will be the luxury supermarket brand. Spinneys signed an agreement with SouqExtra! to establish up to 10 small supermarkets in the Souk Extra malls. Spinneys will have a 400 sq ft store in the first SouqExtra center in the Ewan Residences, and possibly also in Al Quoz, Al Mirba (Fujairah), Al Batheen (Al Ain) (The National 23 April 2009).
- SouqExtra also announced that The Sultan Center (TSC), a large Kuwait based supermarket operator and supplier (and owner/operator of other retail lines), "will operate its 10 superstores in the UAE" (25 February 2009 press release). TSC and Spinneys are not connected though.
- Facilities management to be provided by Imdaad, a UAE based facilities management company. Services to be provided will included MEP supervision and maintenance, internal and external cleaning and security services (press release 07 April 2009)
- Souq Extra Al Ain expanded from 15k-25k square feet in initial reports to 80,000 sq ft on two floors according to an October 2008 press release, although the number of SouqExtra Al Ain services remained at 25 stores, and car parks at 125.
- SouqExtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai World Central (developers of the Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali) to consider establishing SoukExtra complexes in the DWC Residential City development (press release 13 April 2008).
SouqExtra management
- Chairman of SouqExtra! - Saleh Saeed Lootah
- Vice-Chairman - Adel Al Shirawi
- Managing Director - Saleh Abdullah Lootah
- General Manager - Charles Starbuck
Bedayati
- Bedayati is an initiative launched by SouqExtra to encourage UAE Nationals to enter the retail industry.
- Under the Bedayati proposal, SouqExtra will reserve 20% of their retail space to enterprises launched by Emiratis.
SouqExtra contact details
- Nasir Iqbal, SouqExtra, PO Box 3922, Dubai, UAE
- Tel +971-4-8853333, fax +971-4-8852333 (same as contact details for Al Islami Foods)
Last update Tuesday 27-Oct-2009
Related pages
- Aswaaq shopping centres - a similar concept to Souq Extra, also in Dubai
- List of Dubai shopping malls
- Souq Extra! - forum topic, add any updated information or comments there
- Spinneys supermarkets
Related websites (open in new window)
- www.souqextra.com - seen quoted in some sources but no website available when checked (April 2009)
- Dubai directory - add your link free