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.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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.”
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
