Dubai’s Meraas to launch seventh destination
Beachfront destination, La Mer, will open in the Jumeirah 1 district
Meraas, the Dubai-based real estate developer, has announced that its seventh destination project, La Mer, will launch its first phase on October 15, 2017.
The beachfront development will stretch out into the Arabian Gulf from the Jumeirah 1 neighbourhood and will span 13.4 million square feet, consisting of existing and reclaimed land. Situated between Pearl Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bay, the development has three areas – La Mer South, La Mer North and The Wharf.
Surrounded by 2.5 kilometres of beaches and located close to high-profile points of interest such as Etihad Museum and Dubai Water Canal, the shopping, dining and entertainment areas at La Mer will open to the public in two phases, the developer said in a statement.
The first phase comprises of La Mer North and La Mer South, and will have more than 130 shops, cafes, restaurants and beach activities. The second phase consists of The Wharf and will have a waterpark, featuring a surf park that is the first-of-its kind in the region. In addition, it will have a cinema, additional shops, cafes and restaurants.
These additions are scheduled to open at the start of 2018. At a later stage, there will also be a hotel and a residential community located on two man-made peninsulas.
“La Mer is the seventh destination delivered by Meraas in the past three years, following City Walk, The Beach, Boxpark, Last Exit, The Outlet Village and Al Seef,” said Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman at Meraas.
“The destination reaffirms our commitment to contribute to Dubai Tourism Vision 2020 by diversifying what Dubai has to offer. It has already proven a popular location for some of the world’s top brands, and will strengthen Dubai’s position as a global shopping and tourist city. With a host of new and novel experiences, residents and visitors will also find an alluring proposition to explore and enjoy.”
In addition to combining shopping, dining and leisure attractions, La Mer looked to integrate minimalist and contemporary design elements, Habbai said.
The existing beaches have been redeveloped to include showers, toilets with baby changing and disabled access, free wifi, information hubs, mobile charging, prayer rooms, four children’s playground areas and over 1,000 parking spaces are among the other amenities. Valet parking will also be available on-site.
In the process of enhancing the surrounding neighbourhood, all corals unique to the area were preserved and some were replanted by divers.
