Nakheel to launch retail space for lease at Ibn Battuta Mall extension

Dubai developer Nakheel has announced that it will launch 766,000 square feet of additional shop and restaurant space for lease at Ibn Battuta Mall on June 1, as part of the mall’s expansion project.

Ibn Battuta Mall will feature an extra 600 retail, dining and entertainment outlets in its new, 4.7 million sq ft extension, announced last month.

The extension – the second large-scale expansion at Ibn Battuta – will feature a new, one million sq ft mall, multi-screen cinema complex, multi-storey car park and a second hotel with 370 rooms.

At its center will be a 300,000 sq ft courtyard with a retractable glass roof that can be opened in the winter months. The size of four football fields, the courtyard area will be able to accommodate around 80 new shops and restaurants, a statement said.

Spread across 1.2km, the mall highlights the travels of Arabian explorer Ibn Battuta and currently features six individually-designed zones with 300 shops, cafes and restaurants a 21-screen cinema.

Omar Khoory, director of Nakheel Retail, said: “The mall already attracts 52,000 visitors a day and more than 200,000 on its busiest weekends. Our dramatic expansion will transform the area into a huge retail, dining and leisure destination spanning seven million square feet and featuring more than 1,000 shops and attractions in total.

“This will be a fantastic new facility for nearby residents and the wider Dubai community. In addition, the mall continues to capture motorists travelling between Abu Dhabi and Dubai as it’s the first major retail and dining centre on Sheikh Zayed Road for Dubai-bound travellers.”

Nakheel is boosting its retail portfolio and is building 10 new large-scale project including Nakheel Mall, a 418,000 sqm retail hub in Palm Jumeirah, The Pointe at Palm Jumeirah, a 136,000 sqm waterfront mall and a mall and night market at Deira Islands.

The developer is also building neighbourhood centres at its communities in Jumeirah Park, Al Furjan, Discovery Gardens and International City, and its Dragon Mart Mall is undergoing a major expansion programme.

The company now has more than 11 million square feet of leasable retail space in the pipeline, in addition to the 2.5 million already in operation at its Dragon Mart and Ibn Battuta Mall developments.