Shopping malls are a staple of life in the UAE.
They cater to people's retail needs, offering everything from groceries to fashion buys, as well as a number of world-class indoor attractions, which are essential year-round but particularly during the hotter summer months.
With more than 100 malls in the UAE, The National rounds up the top shopping centres in each of the seven emirates.
Abu Dhabi:
Yas Mall
Located on Yas Island, Yas Mall offers a diverse selection of dining options and entertainment zones.
As the island's main shopping centre, it caters to a wide variety of people with luxury and affordable brands, with Zara, Levi's and Lacoste among the stores. Away from shopping, art exhibits, fitness events and other community activities are frequently hosted at the mall.
Perhaps its biggest selling point is that the mall offers easy access to other attractions on the island, including Etihad Arena, theme parks and hotels, with the free regular Yas Express shuttle bus service.
The Galleria Al Maryah Island
The upscale mall is located on Al Maryah Island, with proximity to both offices and residential buildings.
There is an emphasis on luxury at the mall, both in terms of shopping and dining options – brands including Hermes, Apple and Saint Laurent have stores here.
The mall has a waterfront promenade where you'll find several high-end restaurants, including Coya, Zuma and Michelin-starred 99 Sushi Bar and Restaurant.
There is also an extension, which houses high street brands such as Pull and Bear, Kinokuniya and Lululemon, with great dining options including Abu Dhabi's only Din Tai Fung and two food courts.
Reem Mall
Among Abu Dhabi's newest malls, this sprawling shopping spot features more than 400 local and international brands, as well as dozens of food and beverage outlets.
Located on Al Reem Island, the mall is family-focused, with many attractions to keep even the little ones busy. It is home to Abu Dhabi's indoor snow park, Snow Abu Dhabi, launched by the team behind Ski Dubai.
Ajman:
Ajman City Centre
Located conveniently in the centre of the northern emirate, Ajman City Centre is a go-to for both residents and visitors. Its mid-sized layout makes it easy to navigate. The mall houses a cinema, a hypermarket, a food court and several high street shops.
Ajman China Mall
One of the most popular shopping spots in Ajman, China Mall offers a range of affordable items.
Located in Al Jurf, which is only a few minutes away from the city centre, the mall offers items at wholesale prices. Ideal for anyone who has just moved to a new apartment, and is looking to furnish on a bargain.
As well as furniture and household items, the mall stocks clothing, fashion accessories and children's toys.
Dubai:
Dubai Mall
The biggest mall in the world by total land area, the Dubai Mall is an attraction in itself. Located in Downtown Dubai, swathes of tourists visit on a daily basis, flocking to its shops and world-class attractions.
Inside the mall is an ice rink, an aquarium, a virtual reality theme park and a number of other attractions. On its website, Dubai Mall says it offers “complete family entertainment under one roof”.
One of its highlights is the outdoor promenade, which looks out over the Dubai Fountain. The mall is also directly connected, via an air-conditioned bridge, to the metro line, albeit a 1km walk from the station to the entrance.
The promenade also offers a great photo opportunities with a Burj Khalifa backdrop.
Mall of the Emirates
Another mall with high foot traffic, Mall of the Emirates is located in Dubai's Al Barsha. It is also directly connected to a metro station.
The shopping centre serves as a community centre for residents in the busy Al Barsha area – it is within walking distance from residential buildings and houses a large Carrefour hypermarket.
Tourists also visit, particularly for Ski Dubai, an indoor ski slope that offers various activities, from snowboarding to interactions with penguins.
Dubai Festival City Mall
Dubai Festival City Mall is less accessible via public transport, because it is not connected to a metro line, however, it is a staple for residents as it houses large Ace Hardware and Ikea stores.
The mall offers a diverse retail mix, from high-end brands to affordable ones. At night, visitors can enjoy the Imagine water and light show outside the mall on Festival Bay.
Several dining options are available and there are hotels surrounding the mall, including InterContinental Dubai – Festival City, Holiday Inn Dubai Festival City and Crowne Plaza Dubai – Festival City. It will soon be home to one of the biggest food halls in the Middle East.
Fujairah
City Centre Fujairah
Located in Fujairah City, the mall is designed for easy navigation, complete with a hypermarket, dozens of local and international brands, numerous dining options as well as a multi-screen Vox Cinema and an arcade.
Century Mall
Located near Umbrella Beach, Century Mall is a small shopping centre that has all the essentials covered – from groceries to clothes and entertainment. There are banking services, pharmacies, a food court and a cinema all housed within the mall.
Ras Al Khaimah:
Al Hamra Mall
The two-storey shopping centre has about 130 shops and entertainment offerings, including banks, telecommunications outlets, homeware stores and a multi-screen Vox Cinema complex.
Located at Al Hamra village, the mall also features an expansive supermarket and a medical facility.
Manar Mall
One of the biggest malls in the northern-most emirate, Manar Mall boasts a large food court, which is home to more 30 food and beverage vendors.
Several local and international brands can be found in the mall, which also has an outdoor promenade. It is home to Tridom, an indoor children's play area, billed as one of the biggest of its kind in the UAE.
There's also a hypermarket and a cinema complex to complete the mall experience.
Sharjah:
City Centre Al Zahia
City Centre Al Zahia has more than 360 stores, as well as a multi-screen cinema and a sprawling Carrefour.
The mall is located close to Sharjah's Muweilah and University City areas. Aside from shopping, there are entertainment offerings, which include immersive adventure experience Prison Island, a padel club and an art centre.
06 Mall Sharjah
The newly opened centre has one of the largest Imax cinema screens in the UAE and a wide range of stores, from pharmacies to children's, cosmetics and fashion outlets.
The mall also has a Fitness First Platinum branch, as well as a Prime Medical Centre. There are plenty of dining options on site, which will soon include a Bait Maryam restaurant.
Umm Al Quwain:
Mall of UAQ
The centre serves as the major shopping mall of the small emirate, complete with an expansive LuLu hypermarket and department store.
Located in the heart of the city, the mall has a cinema complex and the Orange Hub, an indoor family amusement park with games and activities for every age group.
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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England v South Africa Test series:
First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs
Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs
Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31
Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
