The Power of Retail

The retail scene in Dubai has always been quite vibrant and continues to be as such even today. Yesterday I visited the newly opened Dubai Mall, built by Emaar and billed to be the largest mall in the world. I was disappointed in many ways, but mostly because so many of the stores are yet to open and one can hear the sounds of construction everywhere. Outside the mall, towards the back where the fountain is to be eventually, its a maze of construction vehicles, pipes and so on.

As in all malls in Dubai, the main attraction is not its shops, but the extra stuff to pull the crowds. The older Mall of the Emirates has a ski slope, Ibn Batutta Mall has seven courts and is built along these themes, Wafi City is all about the glory of the Egyptian pyramids, an The Dubai Mall is vying to outdo all of them with its enormous aquarium, complete with sharks, sting rays and thousands of other fish, 33,000 other fish to be exact.

Nothing is small scale here, the aquarium window is the largest in the world and has already been included in the Guinness Book of World Records. There is also a 48mt long tunnel through the aquarium and a Discovery Center that covers three zones: Rainforest, Rocky shore and Living ocean. The Rainforest Cafe is located conveniently nearby, although it is yet to open.

If the aquarium doesn’t interest you, there is also an Olympic sized ice skating rink at the mall. Yes, yes this still is the desert, but who’s to know once you’re inside, right?

Of all the malls I have been to, this is definitely the most technology savvy. All of its internal maps of the malls are touch screen, so you can find the store you want to go to with ease. There are huge electronic boards that change color and move up and down to create an amazing look and feel. I don’t think I’ll be going to the mall much for shopping, but these extras are definitely interesting.

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