A Dh2 billion project to almost double the retail space at Dubai’s oldest mall was unveiled yesterday.
Al Ghurair Centre in Deira opened in 1981, many years before the so-called destination malls that have helped to put Dubai on the map.
Before the extension opened, the mall featured a retail area totalling 480,000 square feet, with about 220 stores, 20 food and beverage outlets and an eight-screen cinema.
The expansion project has added a food court, family entertainment centre featuring an ice rink, indoor rollercoaster and other rides in addition to more than 130 new stores. These include Marks & Spencer, Mango, Iconic, Omega, Cortefiel and Calzedonia, bringing the total retail area to more than 850,000 sq ft.
“The reality is the mall is the oldest mall in Dubai and at one point in time it was the place, the pioneering shopping mall in the city, which is now full of shopping malls,” said David Thurling, the vice president of malls for Al Ghurair Properties.
“Al Ghurair Centre for quite some time lost some of its relevancy to the new kids on the block. So what we are doing is making it relevant again and making it relevant in a way which I think is unique. We are simply not trying to replicate the tried and trusted formula, which let’s be honest, every shopping mall has,” he added.
The mall intends to create a district around the shopping centre and space for street theatre, art and music, which will give a different feel to rival malls, said Mr Thurling. “In many ways, the centre will build on the inherent vibrancy of the surrounding streets to create a bustling experience similar to places like Greenwich Village in New York or Covent Garden in London,” said Mr Thurling.
Over time he hopes that Al Ghurair Centre will become a tourist attraction renowned for its street festivals, public art pieces and ongoing community-driven activities.
“We still at the end of the day offer a mix of retail brands that are common in a lot of the malls but because we can’t compete with 1,200 stores at Dubai Mall, we have to try and appeal through different ways.”
gduncan@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULTS
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
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Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
THE%20SWIMMERS
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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