Ibn Battuta Mall takes in a nursery

Will kindergartens provide the next big tenant boost for shopping malls? Malls are strategically rethinking the tenant mix that consumers would respond positively to. Adding a nursery to the vast list of retail and entertainment offerings may be vital to increasing family footfalls at malls.

The Jumeirah International Nurseries (JINS) has done just that, opening a location at Ibn Battuta Mall. The early education centre — fitted with indoor and outdoor learning spaces, school-level learning resources, and a ‘learning pod’ — follows the British EYFS Curriculum framework. The nursery was inaugurated on November 16 by Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of Knowledge, and Human Development Authority (KHDA), senior KHDA officials, and Shakuntala Mankani, founder of Fortes Education.