Shopping centres enjoyed a substantial rise in visitor numbers at the weekend as the Formula One Grand Prix sped through the capital.
Across the six malls in Abu Dhabi owned by Lulu, which include Al Wahda and Mushrif, the number of visitors was up by about a third.
"It is fair to say we have seen 25 per cent to 30 per cent more shoppers during this time. Even last year we noticed this phenomenon," said V Nandakumar, a spokesman for Emke, which owns Lulu.
"A lot of tourists and Formula One fans all descend on Abu Dhabi during this time and of course this means they also spend time going around Abu Dhabi city and visit shopping malls," he said.
GCC residents may also have extended their stay over Eid to take in the F1 race, further boosting sales, added Mr Nandakumar.
Al Wahda, which has just opened an extension featuring more than 200 shops, welcomed more visitors, but there were also more shoppers at other centres including Mushrif Mall and Al Raha Mall, near Yas Island, where the F1 is held.
And it seems more people were also spending their money in malls, with chains also reporting a rise in sales.
"We have seen visitors and tourists in the Abu Dhabi stores," said Sajid Sayed, the general manager of the clothing retailer Giordano in the UAE. "I don't think it's been double digits, but it has definitely been positive, something that has helped drive foot traffic into our stores."
Some retailers said sales had risen as much as 50 per cent.
"It has been busy for the last two weeks. Sales have gone up 22 per cent to 25 per cent and some are looking at 50 per cent," said Firoz Merchant, the chairman of the UAE-based jeweller Pure Gold. "All the stores in all the malls are doing very well."
At Style Gallery, a jeweller in Emirates Palace that commissioned a 22-carat gold-plated, diamond-encrusted miniature F1 car to sell at its shop in the hotel, business was also up. The shop said it had increased sales by 25 to 30 per cent over the weekend, matching increases during the F1 race period last year.
Watches and rings in particular had gone down well with F1 fans, said Ahmed Abou El Anin, a sales assistant at the jeweller.
But the shop has yet to sell the bejewelled car, which costs Dh175,000 (US$47,645). Mr El Anin said he had no doubt it would sell before the end of the week.
"Everyone passing the shop wants to take a photo of the car."
gduncan@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Kill%20Bill%20Volume%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Quentin%20Tarantino%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Uma%20Thurman%2C%20David%20Carradine%20and%20Michael%20Madsen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
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
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
