Coming up: Sharjah to host biggest City Centre in Northern Emirates
dubai — Sharjah will soon be home to the largest City Centre in the Northern Emirates, as Majid Al Futtaim announced its plans for a Dh2.6 billion super-regional mall next to the new Al Zahia community in the emirate.
The 136,200sqm City Centre Al Zahia will serve the shopping and leisure needs of more than 1.9 million people when it opens in 2020. The mall will feature a diverse mix of over 360 retail brands over two levels, and will also include a Vox cinema with 16 screens as part of its entertainment and leisure offerings. In addition, the mall will also feature a 15,100sqm Carrefour Hypermarket.
Strategically located at the intersection of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and University Road, the mall will boast a lantern-like design, which echoes the annual Sharjah Light Festival. In addition, the external food and beverage precinct, located at the mall’s entrance and with covered al fresco seating, will enhance Sharjah’s dining options for residents and tourists.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, Ghaith Shocair, CEO for shopping malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said the new project is extremely important to the company’s retail plans for the future.
“The Norther Emirates represent almost two million consumers that we need to serve with our brand. We believe in doing so by bringing something very unique to the market in terms of a lifestyle destination that doubles as a shopping centre,” he told Khaleej Times. “Sharjah’s robust economic growth and the continued investment in its tourism, manufacturing, culture and transport sectors make it an ideal destination for further development, especially in the retail, food and beverage and entertainment landscapes.”
Shocair further explained that the populations in the Northern Emirates are growing at a rate of five to seven per cent per year, and that is complemented by consumers having more disposable income. This, he revealed, makes for a very attractive investment. However, he was quick to distinguish the mall from the various smaller community malls that have cropped up across the different emirates in recent years.
“Our mission was not to focus entirely on community centres,” he said. “City Centre Al Zahia is a complete lifestyle destination that focuses entirely on the consumer experience. Typically, you would come to this mall with your family for a day out, and get shopping, dining and entertainment options all under one roof.”
City Centre Al Zahia’s groundbreaking comes following Majid Al Futtaim’s recent announcement that will see the company increase its total investment in the UAE by Dh30 billion by 2026, taking its total investment in the country to Dh48 billion.
Majid Al Futtaim continues to invest in the redevelopment of its existing assets in the Northern Emirates. The expansion plans for City Centre Sharjah and City Centre Ajman are also key elements of Majid Al Futtaim’s overall UAE growth strategy announced in June 2016. City Centre Sharjah is undergoing a Dh260 million redevelopment initiative set for completion in the last quarter of 2017.
A comprehensive redevelopment of City Centre Ajman will see the mall almost double in size to 52,000sqm. With an estimated cost of Dh600 million, the mall’s expansion is anticipated to conclude in the third quarter of 2017, followed by an additional refurbishment of the existing mall.
— rohma@khaleejtimes.com