MAF opens sustainability-focused My City Centre Masdar
Mall features 18,500sqm of gross leasable area and a 7,000sqm Carrefour Hypermarket
Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) has opened its 25th mall, the $81.6m My City Centre Masdar. MAF says the mixed-use, community project is one of the region’s most sustainable shopping malls.
The project features more than 70 stores spread across 18,500 sqm of gross leasable area. Its 600 car parking bays are shaded by roofing housing photovoltaic cells, generating electricity equivalent to one-fifth of the mall’s annual energy usage. 6% of parking has been set aside for electric, hybrid or carshare vehicles – and half of these spaces are equipped with charging points, MAF said.
“My City Centre Masdar’s opening marks a key milestone for Majid Al Futtaim as its 25th shopping mall in the region and its first mall in the UAE’s capital. Expected to be one of the region’s most sustainable malls through the efficient use of resources including energy and water management, My City Centre Masdar underlines Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to an enhanced living environment driven by the UAE’s long-term sustainability goals,” said Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim – Properties.
MAF says the mall aims to recycle at least 80% of its operational waste and that it boasts sustainability-focused features include energy-efficient escalators and lifts. The mall is also said to exclusively use LED lighting during the basic elements of construction and inside shop interiors.
“It is a tremendous honour for Masdar City to be the home of Abu Dhabi’s most sustainable shopping mall. I’d like to congratulate Majid Al Futtaim and all the teams involved in realizing this landmark project, which is further evidence of the status of Masdar City as a location for leading businesses and international brands, and of the commercial appeal of low-carbon urban development,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company.
Speaking about the construction phase, MAF claims that the materials used during construction were manufactured within 500km travelling distance of the project site. MAF says sustainability features such as these were integral to My City Centre Masdar’s achievement of Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Three Pearl rating.
The mall features the UAE’s 100th Carrefour hypermarket. The 7,000sqm store is said to boast sustainably sourced wood, a range of locally-grown produce and a commitment to reducing single-use plastic bag usage. It claims to be the first hypermarket in the UAE not to offer plastic bags at cash counters.
“Of course, Masdar City is not only a benchmark for sustainable urban development. It is also a thriving community made up of thousands of residents, students, researchers, entrepreneurs and business people, supported by the Free Zone, which provides unique business support services and regulations. The opening of Majid Al Futtaim’s first shopping mall in Abu Dhabi will be a welcome attraction for the residents of Masdar City and the surrounding community,” Al Ramahi added.
MAF notes that My City Centre Masdar is set to employ 2,000 people and created opportunities for 1,500 people during its build-out phase. On its location, MAF points out that the mall is centrally placed within the planned Masdar City transit network – it is said to be adjacent to the site of the proposed Masdar City Metro Station and within 300m of the nearest proposed bus and light rail transit stops. The mall will also be connected by public bus routes, and plans are said to be in place to utilise the autonomous, electric vehicle ‘Navya’ to connect the mall to other destinations within Masdar City.
