Nakheel Says Ibn Battuta Mall Welcomed 313,000 Visitors During Eid

Nakheel’s Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai welcomed over 313,000 visitors during the Eid Al Adha long weekend – double its usual footfall, the developer revealed on Tuesday.

Visitor figures at the mall averaged 78,300 per day during the four-day break (Friday-Monday), with 87,000 people visiting on Saturday, October 4.

The mall featured several attractions during Eid such as the Circo Boom circus show, musical performances by Australian troupe the Ten Tenors and other roaming entertainment.

Dubbed the world’s largest ‘themed’ shopping mall, the complex is designed around the travels of 14th century Arabian explorer, Ibn Battuta.

It has 270 shops, 50 restaurants and a 21-screen cinema spread over six zones reflecting the some of the main places that Ibn Battuta visited including China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia and Andalusia.

Nakheel is currently expanding Ibn Battuta – adding 150 shops to the existing complex – as part of its retail growth strategy.

The developer is also extending Dragon Mart Mall, and building new malls at Palm Jumeirah, Deira Islands and Jumeirah Village.

Omar Khoory, director of Nakheel Retail, said: “We look forward to participating in future Eid events at Ibn Battuta and at our growing number of new malls under developments across Dubai.”

With the UAE and specifically Dubai drawing several visitors during the Eid Al Adha festival – including tourists from the GCC – most malls in the city offer a range of attractions and extend timings.

The emirate is also hosting the ‘Eid in Dubai’ shopping festival from September 25 to October 11, as part of which most malls and retail stores run special promotions.