$135mn extension plan for Mall of the Emirates

MALL REVAMP: An artist's impression of how the new extension will look.

Dubai's Mall of the Emirates is set to undergo a $135 million extension project.

The revamp will see the addition of increased facilities for shopping, dining and parking and, will be completed by the first quarter of 2010.

The expansion was announced by the Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Group, just weeks before the opening of the Dubai Mall, which will become the biggest shopping centre in the emirate.

The Dubai Mall, which is due to open on October 30, will feature more than 1,200 retail shops and 160 food and beverage outlets. Dubai Mall expects to attract around 30 million visitors in its first year.

The expansion will add several facilities to the Mall of the Emirates including an additional 10,500 square metres of area for retailers and other service providers, a direct link for Dubai Metro commuters and increased parking spaces to accommodate 750 vehicles.

Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, vice president, Mall of the Emirates, said: "This major investment is imperative in order to meet the increasing demand from newer retailers, who seek a presence in the mall.

"Since we opened in 2005, we have broken many records, some of which were only meant to be achieved much later."

Home to more than 460 retailers, Mall of the Emirates currently incorporates several iconic brands including SkiDubai, the Middle East's first indoor ski resort and snow park, Kempinski Mall of the Emirates and a five-star hotel.

The new building will expand the Mall of the Emirates luxury brand portfolio, something that Fuad Sharaf is keen to develop.

The development will be carried out in phases, starting with the mall extension. This will be followed by car parking upgrades, adding approximately 750 new spaces for vehicles and, the Metro link access, which has an anticipated completion date of September 2009, to coincide with the scheduled opening of the new service.

The extension will be created in the south area of the Mall, adjacent to Entrance 3, in the space currently occupied by the outdoor fountain.

Visitors to the new extension will enter through the Welcome Court, before continuing into the grand interior rotunda with stepped colonnaded arcades and a domed roof.

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