Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall will use its scale to telling effect

Abu Dhabi: With Yas Mall’s opening and the many attractions on Saadiyat Island making steady progress, Abu Dhabi can now look at the bigger picture to being a full-scale destination.

“In combination, Yas and Saadiyat represent highly compelling visitor destinations which will support major tourism growth for Abu Dhabi,” said David Dudley, head of Jones Lang LaSalle, Abu Dhabi. “Given the range and scale of the destinations being planned at Yas and Saadiyat, this will be more than just a day trip, and Yas Mall will certainly benefit from this as a destination for shopping and family entertainment.

“For Yas Mall to be successful, it will need to draw not just from Abu Dhabi’s local catchment population but also the other emirates as well as tourists flying in from further afield.

“Abu Dhabi currently has a shortage of high-quality retail offerings relative to the spending power and sophisticated consumer preferences of the population. The completion of Yas Mall, together with other high quality super-regional malls such as Sowwah Central and Saadiyat District, will help fill this gap and set new benchmarks for retail destinations in Abu Dhabi.

“A key priority of the Abu Dhabi government in diversifying the economy is growing the tourism sector. Solid progress is being made — through expanding the airport and Etihad airline, growing a high-quality diverse portfolio of hotels, and developing major new tourism destinations, most notably Yas Island and Saadiyat Island,” Dudley added.