Construction proposals have been received for Deira Mall, the new retail, dining and entertainment hub being developed by Nakheel, the Dubai-based developer has said.
Three proposals were submitted by the February 20, 2017 deadline, with bids starting at $1.14 billion, the company said in a statement.
Located at the heart of Deira Islands, the new 15.3sqkm waterfront master community being built by Naheel, the Deira Mall is part of the developer’s vision to transform the Old Dubai area into a centre for retail, tourism, living and leisure.
The mall will feature more than 1,000 shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment outlets across four million square feet of leasable space. Built across three floors, the project will feature a ‘state-of-the-art’ atrium with retractable roofs.
A multi-storey car park with nearly 8,400 spaces will also be built for the project, the developer added.
Deira Mall will be the centrepiece of the Deira Boulevard project – a $1.36 billion community which will feature 16 residential towers, 2,900 apartments and retail and recreational spaces. Combined together, the two projects will offer 4.5 million sqft of shopping space.
Nakheel said that a construction tender for Deira Boulevard was released in January 2017.
The mall is one of two large-scale retail projects being developed at Deira Islands. The second project is Deira Islands Night Souk, which is planned as the world’s largest night market, with 5,300 shops and 100 quayside cafes and restaurants.
Construction on the latter project is in full swing, with completion scheduled for 2018. Nakheel added that all units at the Night Souk have been fully leased.
The Deira Islands project is expected to add 40km – including 21km of beachfront – to Dubai’s coastline. The project expects to see a number of tourism, leisure and residential projects come up on the islands, mirroring the success of its Palm Jumeirah project.