Dubai Parks and Resorts has announced 220,000 square feet of leasable space for dining and retail at the development in Jebel Ali.
About 6,500 workers from 27 contracting companies are on site at the project, which includes the Motiongate, Legoland and Bollywood parks and a four-star Lapita hotel managed by Marriott.
These will be joined by Riverland Dubai, which will provide retail and dining outlets to customers, according to Raed Al Nuaimi, the chief executive of Dubai Parks and Resorts.
“Every visitor to Dubai Parks and Resorts will pass through Riverland Dubai on their way into our four parks. However, it will also be much more than just the entrance – it is an exciting destination in its own right,” he said.
Inspired by London’s Covent Garden, Barcelona’s Las Ramblas and New York’s Times Square, Riverland will feature more than 50 outlets.
A statement on the Dubai Financial Market described the journey that visitors will embark upon when they arrive.
It said a medieval French village will be passed through first before reaching an area themed on 1950s America.
“Next, guests will be greeted with a royal Asian welcome at India Gate as musicians and acrobats take visitors on an exhilarating voyage across India,” the statement said.
Finally, customers will reach The Peninsula, where they can pass through open festivals surrounded by a winding river.
The Dh10.5 billion project is set to open in 2016, with Dubai Parks and Resorts expecting to attract 6.7 million ticketed visits in 2017.
Construction of a second phase of the theme park complex will include a mall, more retail outlets and hotels. Work will begin once demand for the parks is clearer after the opening in 2016.
There will be 27 rides and activities at the Motiongate attraction, 40 at Legoland with an additional 20 at the water park, and 16 inside Bollywood Parks. Dubai Parks and Resorts estimates a visitor could need 18 hours to see all three parks.
A new report from the consultants KPMG on Wednesday warned that the UAE's food and beverage industry faces the risk of buckling under the rapid pace of shop openings.
Another 1,600 F&B outlets could open by 2019, the report said.
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