Revealed: The real story behind closure of Safeer Mall in Sharjah

Sharjah: The real story behind the closure of Safeer Mall in Sharjah has been revealed after the mall was deserted and its iconic name boards removed.

Gulf News can confirm that Sharjah residents will no longer be shopping at Safeer Mall, as a new management, which acquired the property, will soon be renaming it.

The building in which Safeer Mall stood was officially handed back to its landlord on December 31, 2024, confirmed Om Prakash, Marketing Manager at Safeer Group of Companies.

“We had taken the building on lease 19 years ago and officially handed it back to the landlord on January 31, 2024,” he told Gulf News.

Prakash said most tenants (shopkeepers) had vacated the premises by then. However, a few businesses in the mall are still in talks with the new management, hoping to continue operations once the new owners take over.

Meanwhile, Nawas Basheer KP, Director of Western International Group, told Gulf News that Western International Group, the parent company with brands such as Nesto, Mark and Save, Geepas and Royalford.

“The mall management is changing. We have taken over the mall at present,” Basheer said on Thursday.

He also confirmed that his company has purchased the property, rather than leasing it as was the case with the previous management.

When asked about the future of the remaining tenants in the mall, he said: “We are currently working with consultants to determine the best course of action. It will take some time. We are in discussions with each tenant to find a solution during the renovation period. The logistics of renovating and rejuvenating the mall are being carefully planned.”

Regarding the hypermarket, Basheer confirmed that it will be taken over by the Mark and Save brand. As for the new name of the mall, Nawas stated, "It’s still under wraps. We will reveal it in due course. Our goal is to revamp the mall and transform it into the next shopping destination in Sharjah," he added.

Originally a discount supermarket, the Safeer Mall had expanded into a full-fledged shopping centre. The extension was built on a parking lot acquired by the landlord, facing Al Ittihad Road that connects Dubai and Sharjah. However, amid the pandemic, traffic congestion and new toll systems contributed to a decline in footfall, with over 60 per cent of the mall left vacant in recent years.
“The area also became less viable due to new traffic bottlenecks and tolls. It wasn’t financially viable for us to stay there anymore,” said Prakash. Before its decline, the mall housed major brands like Landmark Group, Babyshop, Splash, and Shoe Express, all of which have since vacated.

Despite the closure, Safeer Group remains active in UAE’s retail sector. The company recently launched a Safeer Market in Dubai, which opened less than a month ago. It continues to manage Safeer Mall Ajman and multiple Safeer Supermarkets and Hypermarkets across the country and owns and operates several retail brands.