The Dubai Mall in Dubai, Dubai
Image courtesy of Dutco Balfour Beatty.
The Dubai Mall in Dubai, Dubai
Image courtesy of Dutco Balfour Beatty.
  Scroll down for more pictures  
The Dubai Mall in Dubai, Dubai
Image courtesy of Dutco Balfour Beatty.
The Dubai Mall in Dubai, Dubai
Image courtesy of Dutco Balfour Beatty.
The Dubai Mall in Dubai, Dubai
Image courtesy of Dutco Balfour Beatty.
The Dubai Mall
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dubai, Business Bay Business Bay United Arab EmiratesPrint this page   •   Share this page   •   Map This

A palace of excess in a city obsessed with excessiveness, the Dubai Mall is a colossus of spending, enticing people to stay, eat, shop, and leave with their wallets a lot lighter.

Like most mega-malls, this one is carved into about a dozen different themed zones to make it a little more human scale and to group complementary retailers together.

Emphasizing the mall's place as a day-long destination and not just a quick shopping trip, it includes an aquarium, a theme park, a movie theater, an ice skating rink, and other entertainment features.

Over the decades there have been a succession of "world's largest malls" designed to separate shoppers from their money. While it used to be years or decades between crown changes before, things are different now that Dubai and the rest of the developing world are in the game. Don't be surprised to see something larger in a matter of years.

Quick Facts
Statistics
  • Stories above ground: 3
  • Stories below ground: 2
  • Stores: Approximately 1,200.
  • Site size: 278 acres
  • Floor space: 5,900,000 square feet.
  • Retail space: 3,770,000 square feet.
  • Theater seats: 3,000.
  • Steel used: 7,300 tons
  • Parking spaces: 14,000
Timeline
  • 2004: Dubai Mall joint venture formed.
  • 2006: Original opening date for this mall (missed).
  • August 28, 2008: This mall opens for business.
Notes
  • Developer: Dutco Balfour Beatty
  • Developer: Al Ghandi/CCC
  • At the time of its completion, this was the world's largest mall.
  • Part of the mall features a retractable roof.
  • Superlatives:
  • This mall has the first branch of Paris' famous Galleries Lafayette in the Middle East.
    • World's largest mall.
    • World's largest gold bazaar.
    • World's musical fountain.
    • Largest department store in the United Arab Emirates (Galleries Lafayette at 192,000 square feet)
Stacking Diagram
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B2-B1: 
Rate This Retail Establishment
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Your Thoughts

There are five comments.

  I'm from Chicago and think this is the kind of mall we should have. That is so cool with the Aquarium, skylight windows, and attractions with a lot of stores included. It should be rated one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World".

Brent Kampert - Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 @ 4:47pm  

  Absolutely, one of the most beautiful mall I've ever seen.

AFTAB WASI - Thursday, November 13th, 2008 @ 3:23pm  

  simply outstanding

velizara - Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 @ 12:58pm  

  it will be the best mall in the world...

gaurav mehta - Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 @ 3:39am  

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