New Dubai mall would be world’s largest, Emaar says

The mall, to be called Dubai Square, would be part of a $5.5 billion, mixed-use project comprising some 2.6 million square meters (about 28 million square feet) of retail, entertainment, hotel and residential space. Both phases of the retail portion alone would encompass roughly 8 million square feet gross — equivalent to the space of about 100 soccer fields and double the size of The Dubai Mall. The project will also contain roughly 9,000 residential units and 1,500 hotel rooms.

No time frame for the development was given.

"Dubai Square pushes the boundaries of modern retail and leisure by drawing on next-generation technology," said a representative of Emaar Properties, which is developing Dubai Creek Harbour in a joint venture with Dubai Holding, speaking to CNN. "It is designed for the new era of customers, who are digital, connected and tech-savvy."

Published company statements furnish additional details. “Dubai Square is destined to break down the barriers between online and offline shopping, blur the distinction between advertising and entertainment, and dissolve the boundaries between the indoor and the outdoor,” reads an Emaar Properties brochure.

“With Dubai being the fourth-most-visited destination in the world, Dubai Square will also be the closest mega-retail district to millions of visitors passing through Dubai International Airport, which is just 10 minutes away,” said a company statement. “In addition to serving the over 3 million population of Dubai, and over 13 million unique transit passengers to Dubai, it will also serve over 2.5 billion people who are only 4 hours flying time from Dubai. It will play a central role in driving retail sales in Dubai, expected to be over US$43.8 billion (AED 160 billion) by 2021, and serving the estimated 20 million tourists to the city by 2020.”