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 4 November 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
  Red Line
Website www.thedubaimall.com

The Dubai Mall (Arabic: دبي مول‎ "Dubai Mall") is a shopping mall in Dubai and the second-largest mall in the world by total land area, and the 21st-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 each year.[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 4 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, 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.

At over 13 million square feet, (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.

The attraction was awarded with the ‘Certificate of Excellence’ and won the ‘Images Most Admired Retailer of the Year – Leisure & Entertainment’ at Images RetailME Awards 2012.[22][23]

VR Park Dubai

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.[24][25]

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.

Recent additions to Sega Republic rides include Xyclone, Robotnik and Rope Rush, a form of an 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.

The theme park closed on June 1st, 2017, after the license to the Sega theme expired. It later reopened in February 2018 as a theme park dedicated to virtual reality under the name of VR Park Dubai.

Reel Cinemas

Reel Cinemas is a 22-screen cinema, also managed by Emaar Entertainment, in The Dubai Mall.

One of the largest theaters in the region, the megaplex features four 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.

Hysteria

Hysteria is a haunted house which is decorated with special effects, fog lights and strobe lights.[26] The story of Hysteria revolves around a family whose child mysteriously disappeared. They believe that the guest knows where there child is, so they attempt to kidnap the guest or guests and subject them to a terrifying experience. [27][28]

Dubai Dino

Dubai Dino is genuine fossil of Diplodocus, a large, long-necked dinosaur. The total measurement of the Dino is over 7 meters in height and 24 meters in length. [29]

Dubai Creek Tower Replica

The Dubai Mall’s Grand Atrium is home to a replica of the Dubai Creek Tower, which is currently under construction. The model gives a 3D rendition of the completed tower’s architecture and grandeur.[30]

KidZania

KidZania is an interactive children’s sized edutainment theme park that encourages education through play. It offers youngsters the opportunity to experience adult life through role play in a child-sized city.

Shops

The Dubai Mall contains more than 1,200 shops.

Construction

The mall was built by a joint venture of Dutco Balfour Beatty, Al Ghandi/CCC[31] 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 announced the completion of the Metro Link, an 820 m long elevated, air-conditioned footbridge that connects the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro station to the mall.[32][33]

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. As of 2018, it has been finished.[34]

World records and achievements

Dubai Mall near the Fountain at Dusk.
  • Largest mall in the world with total area 1,124,000 m².[35]
  • Worlds second largest mall with Gross Leasable Area (GLA) 350,000 m².[35]
  • World’s largest acrylic panel (Aquarium) inside Dubai Mall, which is (32.88 m wide × 8.3 m high × 750 mm thick and weighing 245 tons).[35][36]
  • The world’s largest sweet shop, "Candylicious", spanning over 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) inside Dubai Mall.[37]
  • Dubai Mall records more than 5 million visitors in the month of March 2010 during the one-month Dubai Shopping Festival, setting an all-time record in visitor footfall[38]
  • Dubai Mall was named the best shopping experience on 29 April 2010 by Grazia Style Awards.[39]
  • The Dubai Mall hosted a record 37 million visitors in its first year of operation in 2009,[7] and attracts more than 750,000 visitors every week.[40]
  • The Dubai Mall hosted a record 47 million visitors in 2010, and broke the record of 37 million visitors received last year, an increase of 27 percent despite the economic crisis.[9]
  • In 2011, Dubai Mall becomes the world's most-visited shopping and leisure destination, and attracted more than 56 million visitors, an increase of 15 percent from the visitors of last year.[12]
  • 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.[10][11]
  • In 2017, Dubai Mall unveiled the world's largest OLED screen.

Incidents

  • On 25 February 2010 the aquarium sprung a leak which led many shops to temporarily close down and forced shoppers to evacuate the mall immediately. It reopened the following day.[41]
  • In March 2015, more than a hundred foreign labourers protested in front of Dubai Mall due to overtime wages not being paid, causing disruption to traffic in the area. The situation came under control within an hour by the police.[42]
  • On 31 December 2015 the mall was evacuated because of a major fire at The Address Hotel, which is adjacent to the mall's compound.
  • On 24 April 2017 a power outage occurred, causing the mall to go into a blackout for 90 minutes. No other nearby areas were affected

The Dubai Mall was featured in the documentary show called Megastructures that aired on the National Geographic Channel[43] In January 2017, Forbes recognized Dubai Mall as one of the top shopping malls in Dubai.[44] The mall was also featured in the popular BBC One programme The Apprentice (UK series nine) Week 5: Dubai Discount buying; where the candidates had to purchase items for the least amount of prices by utilising their negotiation skills.[45]

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. Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. 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. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. 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 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  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. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. 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. Archived from the original on October 15, 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 Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine., Emaar, retrieved 12 March 2006
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ "zawya.com, Aquarium at The Dubai Mall scoops world record". Zawya.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  24. ↑ "SEGA Republic". The Dubai Mall. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  25. ↑ "Sega Republic indoor theme park opens its gates at The Dubai Mall". AMEinfo.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012.
  26. ↑ Hysteria. "Hysteria". The Dubai Mall. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  27. ↑ "UAE Tours - The five best attractions for visitors in Dubai Mall -UAE". www.vjcyber.com. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  28. ↑ "Home - Hysteria | Dubai's First Haunted Attraction". Hysteria | Dubai's First Haunted Attraction. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  29. ↑ Dino, Dubai. "Dubai Dino". The Dubai Mall. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  30. ↑ "UAE Tours - The five best attractions for visitors in Dubai Mall -UAE". www.vjcyber.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  31. ↑ "Burj Dubai Mall". Balfour Beatty Website. 2008-04-16. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  32. ↑ "Press Release Detail". emaar.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  33. ↑ Shafaat Shahbandari, Staff Reporter. "Commuters hail Metro-Dubai Mall walkway". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  34. ↑ "Press Release Detail". emaar.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  35. 1 2 3 "Top 10 construction world record holders". ConstructionWeekOnline.com. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  36. ↑ "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.
  37. ↑ "World's biggest sweet shop opens in Dubai – Odd News". newslite.tv. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  38. ↑ "Dubai Mall smashes record with 5 million visitors". Hotelier Middle East. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  39. ↑ "Dubai Mall named best shopping experience – Retail". ArabianBusiness.com. 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  40. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  41. ↑ "Aquarium leak hits Dubai Mall". Gulfnews.com. 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  42. ↑ Dana Moukhallati. "Police resolve workers' protest in Downtown Dubai". thenational.ae. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  43. ↑ Archived July 26, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  44. ↑ "The Five Best Shopping Malls In Dubai". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  45. ↑ BBC|http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b020xrpd
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.