Visitors lift Emaar Malls profit
LONDON: Emaar Malls has recorded an 11 percent increase in its 2017 full-year profits compared to the previous year, on the back of rising visitor numbers to its Dubai shopping centers.
Total net profit reached 2.08 billion dirhams ($566 million), compared to 1.874 billion dirhams in 2016, according to a company filing.
A total of 130 million shoppers visited Emaar’s retail centers in 2017, marking a 4 percent increase on visitor turnout from the year before. Dubai Mall, the company’s flagship development, welcomed 80 million visitors in 2017 for the fourth consecutive year.
“The sustained growth of Emaar Malls highlights the robust performance of our nation’s retail sector, a key contributor to the gross domestic product,” said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties and board member of Emaar Malls, in a statement.
Emaar Malls’ revenue reached 3.63 billion dirhams in 2017, a 12 percent increase on the previous year.
Emaar Malls said it was pushing forward with its expansion plans, confirming that work on the new Dubai Hills Mall has started and the development is scheduled to open in late 2019. The shopping center is expected to have more than 750 retail outlets.
The company said work has begun on the expansion of Dubai Mall’s Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. It is also developing a new retail center in the Springs Village. Both developments are due to open this year.
Emaar Malls has expanded online as well, completing the acquisition of the web-based fashion retailer Namshi last year.