Nakheel on Wednesday awarded a construction contract to build Deira Mall, with a total investment of AED6.1 billion ($1.66 billion).
The Dubai developer appointed United Engineering Construction to build the mall, under a contract valued at AED4.2 billion. Construction will begin in Q3 this year, with completion in 2020, Nakheel said in a statement.
With four million square feet of leasable area, the complex is set to become Dubai’s biggest shopping, dining and entertainment destination in terms of retail space, the developer said.
It will be located on a four million sq ft site, where vibro-compaction work is under way, at the heart of Deira Islands, Nakheel’s new, 15.3 sq km waterfront city.
The four-island development, which will transform the area traditionally known as ‘Old Dubai’ into a world-class retail, tourism, living and leisure hub, will be home to more than 250,000 people when complete.
With a total built-up area of 10.3 million sq ft, including a 3.8 million sq ft multi-storey car park with 8,400 spaces, Deira Mall will feature over 1,000 shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment outlets across three floors. The development will boast a retractable roof, bringing natural light into the complex and allowing open-air shopping in cooler months.
Deira Mall will be the centrepiece of Deira Boulevard, a new AED5 billion Nakheel community with 16 residential towers, nearly 3,000 apartments and extensive retail, restaurant and recreation space. Together, Deira Mall and Boulevard will have 4.5 million sq ft of shop space. A construction tender for Deira Boulevard was released in January this year.