Dubai: Reem Mall, one of Abu Dhabi’s next-generation shopping destinations, has reached its highest point on the construction side.

The topping up of the eight-level structure has just been done, 18 months into the project.

“Infrastructure piling works are just a matter of weeks from completion, with pile caps and bridge piers for the flythrough that will give seamless access to the mall,” said Shane Eldstrom, CEO of Al Farwaniya Property Developments, the mall’s builder.

Located on Reem Island, the project site now hosts 14 tower cranes, with more than 350,000 tonnes of concrete having already been poured across the eight levels of the structure. Work is going on 24x7.

The topping out is the latest milestone reached on site over the past 18 months. Completion is scheduled for end 2020, with the mall to feature 450 stores, including 85 F&B outlets, and a “snow park”.

Aiming for wider reach

Apart from a resident base of 200,000 from within Reem Island, the new mall has set its sights firmly on capturing a much wider audience. The site is located in the Najmat District of Reem Island.

According to Faisal Sultan, Chairman of Al Farwaniya Property Developments, “Seeing it reach its highest point is a truly fantastic milestone. With significant construction progress continuing on site every day, Reem Mall is visibly rising to take its place among the top retail, leisure and entertainment destinations in the UAE and beyond.”

Busy launch schedules

Meanwhile, another mall project in Abu Dhabi, Forsan Central Mall in Khalifa City, is 65 per cent complete and scheduled for store handovers to tenants from January. Actual opening is scheduled for August next year.

With a total leasable area of 431,000 square feet plus, there will be 89 retail stores, 22 F&B outlets, and an entertainment area spanning 31,230 square feet and over. The project is part of Line Investments & Property’s portfolio.

The mall has a catchment area of nearly 30,000 families, within the residential neighbourhoods of Al Raha Gardens, the gated communities of Rayyana, Golf Gardens and Sas Al Nakhil Village, among others, and the community of Al Watani and Masdar.