Dubai: The Meydan One Mall project is all set to get off from the starting gates. The first contracts for the 3-million-square-foot mall, including a ski slope, could be out before the year-end, top officials said. And if all go according to plan, the finish line would be crossed in December of 2019.
“Even with so much retail supply in Dubai, a destination like Meydan One Mall can easily absorb itself into the market,” said Mohammad Al Shehi, member of the Board of Directors at Meydan. “It certainly won’t be anything that you see all the time in Dubai — the same shops and the same formats.
“The design is unique — and all through the planning process, we got in the retailers themselves to give us inputs on how they want things to be. And we intend to make use of both the inside and out for future retailers and shoppers.”
The leasing activities have already started for the mall, with the developer confirming talks with both the big-name retail brands here and elsewhere. In all, there will be more than 650 outlets.
The mall forms part of a wider “district” that the developer has committed to, including one of the tallest towers the city will see. Being part of Mohammad Bin Rashid (MBR) City gives the mall’s prospects an immediate heft. The City is to host some of the costliest villas and mansions this side of Emirates Hills and the Palm.
For emphasis, the mall also gets to have a ski slope, and which will scale up to a level for “professional skiers and not those coming for entertainment”, said Al Shehi.
At least for the near term, the malls at Meydan and Deira Islands represent the largest commitments on new retail capacity in Dubai. That is until the newly reworked Mall of the World comes along.
