Mall in Abu Dhabi turns mobile friendly

ABU DHABI Stuck with a dead mobile phone while shopping? The agony of being away from Whats App and Facebook, even for a few hours, could be unthinkable for many.

But if you are shopping at the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, put all your tech worries aside.

The mall has installed two mobile charging booths that allow visitors to plug in their phones for charging and leave it under lock and key for 30 minutes while they go shopping.

“This is the most useful thing I have found in a mall,” said Syrian student Habiba Abdulbaki.

She said the facility is very much in sync with the technology-driven world we live in. “I hope such services become available in Metro stations, restaurants and even hospitals.”

Indian expat Kiran Rajaguru said mobile charging stations are the need of the hour. “The last thing you want is your phone to run out of battery and die in your pocket while you are outside. I am so glad to see this in a mall,” said Rajaguru, a marketing professional.

Six mobile phones can be charged at the machine at the same time The charging booth has six individual lockers that come with charging pods suitable for different kinds of mobile phones. Users can plug in their phone for charging in any of the lockers, and keep the keys with themselves. Each user is allowed 30 minutes of free charging time, after which the locker has to be left open for the next customer.

The mobile charging stations can be found next to the customer service at the entrance to the mall, and near The Colombiano Café also on the ground floor.