Dubai: Limitless has officially opened The Plaza — 20,000 square metres of landscaped grounds, gardens and greenery — at The Galleries at Downtown Jebel Ali, its flagship project in Dubai.

The outdoor centrepiece and social hub of The Galleries, The Plaza is an eco-friendly mix of pools, foliage, shaded areas to relax and bustling places to meet. About 300 metres long and nearly 70 metres wide, The Plaza is the size of three international football pitches laid end to end.

It takes up a third of The Galleries' total area. At its heart is a new venue for cultural and social events: an amphitheatre for 300 people and a 105 square metre digital screen — switched on for the first time this week — which aims to broadcast a regular line up of sporting events, movies and other features.

The amphitheatre will be flanked by a range of cafes and restaurants, the first of which are undergoing fit out.

Green spaces

Salah Ameen, Executive Director for Limitless in the Middle East, said: "Limitless firmly believes in green, open spaces that enhance life and promote sustainability by encouraging walking, relaxation and interaction.

"Our Plaza is an architectural, engineering and environmental masterpiece that brings The Galleries alive and provides a new destination for people in Dubai and Abu Dhabi."

The Plaza's eco-friendly design saves up to 4,000 gallons of water a day and cuts electricity consumption.

Located on Shaikh Zayed Road, The Galleries is an eight-building mix of A-grade offices, apartments, retail and leisure facilities.

It is 45 minutes by car from Abu Dhabi, and will soon be directly accessed via the new Interchange 8 on Shaikh Zayed Road and a Metro station: both will open later this year, according to the RTA.

"The Galleries are gaining favour. A third of the retail space has already been leased," Ameen said.

"Current occupiers and deals under negotiation account for about 50 per cent of the available office space. More deals are in the pipeline."

And as far the development of the wider Downtown Jebel Ali area is concerned, Limitless is planning a mosque and is working on the first 330 residential units at The Galleries to release them early next year.

"There is also work underway by sub-developers in Zone 1.

"As master developer we have undertaken sufficient infrastructure work to allow third party developers to begin construction."

— With inputs from Nicole Walter,Senior Reporter