Cityland Group in Dubai is building a massive nature-inspired shopping complex, costing an estimated 1.1 billion dirhams ($299 million),

Located next to Dubai’s Global Village, the mall’s crown jewel will be a 200,000 sq ft botanical garden at the center.

Cityland Group is the same company that was behind Dubai Miracle Garden and Dubai Butterfly Garden.

The mall’s central garden will contain an ancient tree garden, a mini version of Miracle Garden, a Japanese garden and a rooftop garden with cafes and restaurants.

“What sets Cityland Mall apart is an open-air botanical garden, that forms the nucleus – both literally in mall architecture and symbolically as this will be the hallmark attraction,” CEO of Cityland Group Fahimuddin Sharfuddin said, according to Arabian Business.

He said the the property “will carve a niche” in the United Arab Emirates’ leisure and shopping sector.

Located next to Dubai’s Global Village, the mall’s crown jewel will be a 200,000 sq ft botanical garden at the center. Built by the same company that was behind Dubai Miracle Garden and Dubai Butterfly Garden, the mall’s central garden will contain an ancient tree garden. This is a miniature version of Miracle Garden, a Japanese garden and a rooftop garden with cafes and restaurants.

With 350 stores across six continent-themed pavilions, fashion retailers will occupy the space but it will also include food and beverage outlets as well as various entertainment facilities.

The mall plans to target the 200,000 some residents of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road corridor, near the location, that currently must travel up to half an hour for a suitable shopping facility, according to Phil McArthur, managing director of retail consultancy McArthur + Company.

Sharfuddin said that his company is planning to complete the mall in 20-24 months, with the mall set to be operational by 2018. He brushed off questions about competition from Majid Al Futtaim’s proposed shopping mall as well as Dubai Holding’s planned Mall of the World development. Both projects are slated to open near to Cityland Group’s project.

“Future projects will come along, but we’ll make sure that our project is well run and well marketed to maintain our market share,” Sharfuddin said.

Source: stepfeed.com