Emaar announces $400m expansion of Dubai Mall


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

Emaar Properties has announced the Dh1.5 billion ($408 million) expansion of Dubai Mall as it seeks to attract more visitors and grow the venue's offerings.

The plan will include 240 new luxury shops and food and beverage outlets, and the contractor is already mobilising on-site, Emaar said on Monday. It did not give an estimated completion date.

Dubai Mall, which had 105 million visitors last year, up 19 per cent annually, is a popular destination for tourists and shoppers.

The development is a “great addition to one of the most visited sites in the world”, Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar, said.

“This expansion reflects Dubai’s ambitious vision to remain at the forefront of global innovation and culture, further solidifying our city's position as a top global destination.”

Dubai is investing heavily in boosting its tourism industry.

The city hosted 5.18 million international overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2024, compared with 4.67 million tourist arrivals during the same period last year, according to official data.

The emirate recorded its best annual tourism performance last year, with international tourist arrivals to the emirate increasing by 19.4 per cent annually to 17.15 million, amid the continued expansion of its economy.

Last year’s figure exceeded the previous record of 16.73 million visitors registered in 2019, according to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

Dubai is also building a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International, the emirate's second airport also known as Dubai World Central, as its main hub, Dubai International, inches closer to full capacity.

Meanwhile, retail spending across the UAE rose 14 per cent annually last year, driven by fashion (which grew by 31 per cent year on year), general retail (up 16 per cent), leisure and entertainment (15 per cent) and hypermarkets and supermarkets (3 per cent), mall operator Majid Al Futtaim said in a report in April.

Inaugurated in 2008, Dubai Mall is spread over 1.2 million square metres and is among the world's largest shopping malls.

Currently, it houses more than 1,200 shops, including two anchor department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Bloomingdale's, along with 200 international dining options.

Some of its entertainment and leisure attractions include Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Reel Cinema’s 24-screen cineplex, KidZania Dubai, Play DXB, Dubai Ice Rink, Ekart and Zabeel Sports District.

Emaar's recurring revenue from malls, hospitality, leisure, entertainment, and commercial leasing rose more than 26 per cent annually to Dh9.2 billion last year, the company said in February.

Revenue from this portfolio constituted over 34 per cent of the company’s total revenue last year.

In February, Emaar also announced two luxury projects in the emirate valued at a combined Dh96 billion as the property market continues to grow amid strong investor demand.

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New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat

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6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
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Sustainable Development Goals

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

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Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

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The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

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Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

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Mamma Mia

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Europa League final

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Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

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While you're here
How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

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The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

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Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

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Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

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Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Updated: April 16, 2025, 9:15 AM`