Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
The official opening of the mall was in May 2009. The huge shopping mall houses around 1200 shops and over 160 restaurants and café shops. The size can only be guessed at, it is difficult to imagine the dimensions. With a sales area of over 350 000 square metres, the shopping centre has a lot to offer. 95 lifts and 150 escalators ensure comfort and movement within the mall.
The Dubai Mall is not just a shopping centre, it is much more an oversized “entertainment destination”. It is a meeting place during the day and in the evening. People like to spend their free time here. More than 20 cinemas are available in the Cinema. A longer stay is perfect for an extensive “indoor stroll” including dinner in the food court or one of the scattered indoor or outdoor restaurants.
The in-house Gold Souk houses more than 200 jewellery shops. It is modelled on an Arabian market. Children and adults romp around skating. The oversized hall is not located in a separate area, but right in the middle of the mall. At some point, you automatically walk past it and watch children and adults enjoying themselves.
The Dubai Aquarium is one of the main attractions of the Dubai Mall. One floor up, the “Underwater Zoo” presents a large variety of animals that live in or near water. The 24-metre-high water cascade at another point in the mall is also about water. Beautifully integrated in the middle of the mall, the waterfall is a very popular photo motif.
Take plenty of time, preferably the whole day and evening, when you visit the Dubai Mall or Downtown Dubai in general. You will certainly come back a second time if you spend several days on holiday in Dubai.
