Open sesame

Open sesame

The Dubai Mall’s pearly gates have finally opened. It’s just a mall, that’s true. But it’s a larger, more glamorous and impressive mall than even Dubai’s residents are accustomed to.

November 5, 2008 6:46 by kippreport

Emaar Malls Group LLC, The Dubai Mall’s developer, expects 30 million trawlers to visit the retail haven, although there has been concern that the mall may not meet its projection due to the credit crisis. Yousuf Al Ali, however, is unfazed: “Business in Dubai is as usual. The growth in GDP will translate into more purchasing power in the region, even the tourism has not been affected […] We are satisfied that nothing will be affected in Dubai Mall. Dubai Mall will be the number one mall in the region in terms of sales,” he said to ArabianBusiness.com

Those are some firmly optimistic words from Al Ali, and while there’s really no telling how global markets will affect the mall, he is dead right about one thing: sales in this mall will likely surpass others. Not because it’s in Dubai and the emirate is immune the crisis, but because nowhere in the region is there a quite as large, comprehensive and impressive as The Dubai Mall. And in a region that spends close to six months out of the year cooped up in air conditioned homes and buildings, a behemoth like this will be exactly where the region’s residents will want to spend their free time.

If you’ve experienced the region’s scorching summer heat, you’ll know what we mean.

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Tags: Dubai, dubai Mall, Retail