DUBAI: One of the world's largest shopping malls is due to open towards the end of the year in Dubai, developers announced yesterday.
Dubai Mall - covering an area of 12 million square feet - will feature 1,200 stores, an indoor aquarium and an Olympic-sized ice rink, the emirate's real estate developer Emaar said.
The development will dwarf the Mall of the Emirates, currently Dubai's largest retail centre that itself boasts an indoor ski slope and a luxury hotel.
Dubai Mall will become "the region's premier shopping and entertainment destination for residents and a major attraction for Dubai's tourists," Emaar shopping malls division head Jim Badour said.
The mall will be part of a wider multi-billion-dollar development that includes the world's tallest tower.
Burj Dubai is still under construction, but it overtook Taiwan's Taipei 101 tower as the world's tallest building when it reached 512 metres (1,533 feet) in June. Its eventual height remains a closely-guarded secret.
Dubai, a member of the oil-rich UAE federation, holds a hugely popular annual shopping festival. The city state attracts millions of visitors each year, positioning itself as a global leisure and financial hub.
Dubai Mall - covering an area of 12 million square feet - will feature 1,200 stores, an indoor aquarium and an Olympic-sized ice rink, the emirate's real estate developer Emaar said.
The development will dwarf the Mall of the Emirates, currently Dubai's largest retail centre that itself boasts an indoor ski slope and a luxury hotel.
Dubai Mall will become "the region's premier shopping and entertainment destination for residents and a major attraction for Dubai's tourists," Emaar shopping malls division head Jim Badour said.
The mall will be part of a wider multi-billion-dollar development that includes the world's tallest tower.
Burj Dubai is still under construction, but it overtook Taiwan's Taipei 101 tower as the world's tallest building when it reached 512 metres (1,533 feet) in June. Its eventual height remains a closely-guarded secret.
Dubai, a member of the oil-rich UAE federation, holds a hugely popular annual shopping festival. The city state attracts millions of visitors each year, positioning itself as a global leisure and financial hub.
