Sprawling malls are aplenty in the UAE. But a new launch in Dubai's Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) has got the entire community buzzing.
Circle Mall, by Nakheel, opened to the public on Thursday, and has already been widely raved about by locality residents who have been patiently waiting its launch.
Located at Jumeirah Village Circle, just off Hessa Street, the mall has been pegged as a family-friendly destination for residents of JVC and nearby areas, and features numerous famous retailers, food and entertainment brands.
It spans 49,424 square metres and currently has a Daiso, Spinneys, Brands For Less, as well as a handful of clothing brands, ladies and gents salons, a flower shop and more.
By the fourth quarter of 2021, the mall will be home to 80 stores, restaurants and entertainment outlets including a Nesto Hypermarket, Medicina Pharmacy, du, Etisalat, Baskin Robbins, Life Pharmacy, Starbucks, McDonald's and Il Forno, among others.
Fitness enthusiasts will be delighted to know that Wellfit, a fitness and wellness club, will be opening in the mall by the fourth quarter of the year.
Circle Mall will also feature a 1,500-square-metre family entertainment centre with an arcade, children's salon, trampoline, CrossFit for children, and more.
Finally, unlike a lot of malls in the region, the rooftop will be home to a community club, which also happens to be JVC's first. It will feature an outdoor pool, two tennis courts and McCafferty's, a new Irish restaurant concept.
Residents delighted
"Finally" read a post by a UAE resident who posted pictures of the newly-opened mall on Jumeirah Village Circle's Facebook group, shortly after the mall's official opening.
Circle Mall began construction in 2016, making it a widely-anticipated opening for the roughly 95,000 residents that currently live in JVC. Real estate agents for the community have also have made it a point to mention the mall over the years, as an additional selling point.
“It’s a big deal since JVC is becoming a very big community with minimal retail outlets and restaurants in the area,” says Tony Rizk, a resident. “Our nearest retail shopping area is otherwise in Motor City or City Centre Me'aisem.”
“Nakheel did a really good job after adding a gym, pool and tennis courts to the mall, which is quite unusual in similar community malls. Plus the mall has two supermarkets and lot of restaurants and cafes. Most of the outlets in the mall haven’t opened yet but there's no doubt that the Circle Mall will make JVC more attractive for people who wants to find a decent and calm area in the city,” he says.
Sudarshna Rathore, also a resident, says she first heard about the mall through a JVC WhatsApp group which has been buzzing with excitement over the launch.
“Finally, we won't have to face the Hessa Street traffic to get basics. There’s also the appeal of more options to order from without giant minimum order amounts,” she says. “For some people, it’s like Christmas came early.”
Circle Mall is open from 10am-10pm on weekdays and 10am-midnight on weekends. More information is at www.circlemall.ae
