Retail heaven has come to Baghdad.
The capital's commercial district has been transformed with the arrival of Mansour Mall.
On Sunday, hundreds of people were walking in droves leading up to the giant structure, in their best dress, with women glammed up in make-up and high heels and ready for a night on the town.
It was like a carnival, or a parade.
"All of Baghdad is here," my dad said, chuckling, as we strolled through the place. "In the past, they would drive all the way north to Erbil to go to Majdi Mall."
The mall's entranceway would be most peculiar anywhere else in the world. Women and men had to part and enter different doors to get through security checks and show their bags to officials. Once through, they would meet again in the main entrance only to pass through an electric scanner.
It was a cool surprise when I saw a giant billboard that said: "Palm of Babylon, reserve this space by calling this number."
I thought to myself: kudos to my Iraqi friend Mays Wisam, a Dubai-based entrepreneur who founded Palm, an advertising and marketing business in Baghdad. I was astounded by the amount of people walking in the mall. There must have been 2,000 people eyeing the 60-plus shops. For many, this was probably the first time they had walked into a western-style shopping mall in their lives.
And there are plenty of reasons to go.
There's electricity and air conditioning, a luxury in central Iraq amid the searing 45°C temperatures.
Finally, there is a place where people can hang out indoors and keep away from the summer heat.
And for the first time in at least two decades, recognised brands are being stocked in the stores. There's Koton, LC Waikiki, Ecco, Clarks and Geox, but those stores are alongside a fake "Aldoo". That goes the same for food: there's a "Krunchy Fried Chicken K.F.C".
Talk about contrasts: the sham poultry purveyors caught my attention as we walked by a shop that had Rolex and Raymond Weil watches on display.
But despite the spiked interest, regional apparel brands appear to be an "accustomed taste" for Iraqis. The hands of the thousands of people who circled the mall - to this observer, it was easily comparable to a religious pilgrimage - were empty of shopping bags.
In the food court, however, it was a different story.
There was no place to sit.
"I think the apparel prices are still a bit expensive for Iraqis," my dad said. "But they won't mind spending their money on food."
In addition to the shops and food outlets, Mansour Mall has an indoor amusement area with a carousel, bumper cars and a roller coaster. A few steps away, women stood in front of a giant bouncy slide anxiously waiting to take pictures with their iPhones as their kids free-fell to the ground.
While it's a carnival atmosphere inside, the nearby shops outside are grumpy about the new mall, which opened at the start of Ramadan.
Across the street, a manager at a fake "pizza hut" told me his restaurant has suffered a 50 per cent drop in footfall.
The store near his, he says, was able to maintain its customer base due to his offering of nargeela (shisha), which is currently unavailable at the mall.
"If they introduce it in the mall," the pizza man said, "he's done."
halsayegh@thenational.ae
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
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Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
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Playing September 30
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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