DUBAI
A new mall in Jumeirah was officially opened on Monday evening, targeting predominantly Emirati nationals with a mix of local F&B options, and upscale fashion and lifestyle brands.
“We expect the visitor mix to The Mall to be around 60 per cent Emirati,” Nancy Ozbek, General Manager, The Mall, said in an interview at the opening.
She went on to explain how they had chosen restaurants, such as Arabian Tea House, to match Emirati tastes.
“We wanted to select brands that represented Emirati culture, and have a mix. We can’t compete with the megamalls like Dubai Mall, so we wanted to be more of a boutique mall,” Ozbek said.
When asked about concerns of oversupply in the area, the general manager said that since opening its doors to the public a year ago, it had been “painful,” but gradually there had been improvements.
The mall currently has a footfall of around 5,000 people per day.
“We’d like that to increase to 10,000 a day on weekends by the middle of this year, I think this year will be a lot better for us,” she said.
Residents of the Jumeirah area are serviced by over four malls, including Mercato, City Walk, Town Centre, and now The Mall.
Located opposite Jumeirah Beach Hotel, The Mall will benefit from Sunday’s announcement of the new Marsa Al Arab megaproject, a 4 million square foot development, featuring two new hotels, a waterpark, and entertainment facilities.
Also in the local area is the recently-opened Al Naseem hotel, part of the Madinat Jumeirah.
“These projects are giving a lot of promise to this mall, it’s got a great location,” Ozbek said.
She added that she was very optimistic.
The launch was attended by Meedhad Rashid Meedhad Al Muhairi, the owner of The Mall, and Rashid Al Muhairi Meshar, Chairman.
