New food hall at Dubai Festival City Mall to be one of the biggest in the Middle East

It will have 53 food and drink offerings and a seating capacity of more than 3,500

Greek food is a staple in the UAE's food halls, including at Social Distrikt and Market Island coming up at Dubai Festival City Mall. Photo: Social Distrikt

A sprawling 7,000-square-metre food hall is coming to Dubai Festival City Mall in December and it's billed to be one of the biggest in the Middle East.

New outlets will include Japanese venue Ryba Family and Kristoff Coffee and Kitchen, both of which have a presence in Russia. The Greeks Are Here is another restaurant coming to the venue.

Market Island will introduce a total of 53 concepts featuring cuisines from across the world. It will have a seating capacity of more than 3,500.

On the ground floor of the mall's north end will be various food stations, dedicated restaurant spaces, bars and lounges. The food hall is also set to have the first licensed bar within a mall in the UAE.

Hayssam Hajjar, general manager of Al-Futtaim Malls, describes the space as “a cutting-edge venue that merges the worlds of food and entertainment”. The project is by Zemskiy Group, which was behind several food hall projects across Russia.

Other food halls you can currently visit in the UAE include Depachika in Nakheel Mall, Time Out Market Dubai at Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai, Social Distrikt on The Pointe in Palm Jumeirah, and The Botanic Atrium at the Mall at World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi.

The announcement also follows a series of new features in other UAE malls, including Snow Abu Dhabi in Reem Mall and the newly opened Chinatown in Dubai Mall.