Meydan One shopping mall set for 2020 opening

Meydan One will feature attractions such a 1-kilometre ski slope, a heritage village, white sandy beach and water park, hotels and hotel apartments, as well as the largest dancing water fountain in the world.

Meydan One, which is currently under development in Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City in Dubai, has announced that the project is on track for its launch in early 2020, with 60 per cent of structural work already completed.
Meydan One is a sprawling destination that offers lifestyle experiences, entrepreneurship and technologies, reaffirming Dubai's vision to become the preferred global hub for tourism and shopping.

Meydan One will integrate indoor and outdoor spaces featuring key attractions such a 1-kilometre ski slope, a heritage village, white sandy beach and water park, hotels and hotel apartments, as well as the largest dancing water fountain in the world.

Speaking on the progress of the project, Fahad Kazim, vice-president - Meydan Malls, Meydan Group, said: "We are changing the way the Middle East thinks of mall concepts today. Meydan One has been envisioned as a 'place for everyone', which means it seeks to accommodate varied needs and expectations. We are doing this through collaborating with the community to create a highly-integrated multifunctional hub. In addition, we are aiming to ensure that the space has a significant layer of digitisation to allow us to connect with consumer needs in a unique way."

Upon completion, Meydan One will host 580 retail stores, including 30 anchor stores and 80 flagship luxury stores, 190 dining outlets and a 13,200 square metre hypermarket. There will be a retractable sky lit atrium space named the 'Canyon' measuring 160 metres by 100 metres, featuring flexible areas for events and entertainment as well as al fresco dining experiences.

Erik Hokanson, design director, AE7, the architectural firm behind the development of Meydan One, said: "Meydan One is being
purpose-built to offer an exceptional community and retail experience. As the destination materialises, we are seeing its elements coming together to deliver an all-encompassing lifestyle hub."

With the aim of encouraging community interaction and providing a platform for local and international talent, Meydan One will house a multipurpose civic plaza with a capacity to host 30,000 people to facilitate a range of cultural and entertainment activities for visitors of all ages.

The dancing water fountain will span 380 metres in length. In addition, an 8.2-kilometre Crystal Lagoon within Meydan One will feature over 500-metres of white sandy beaches, an exclusive beach club with a lounge area.

Adding to this is the development's 'Experience Zone', which features entertainment, traditional and extreme sports, edutainment and e-gaming experiences. The Experience Zone will also feature a multi-purpose sports arena.

Meydan One aims to integrate a new approach to leasing contracts by moving away from traditional approach to tenant-landlord relationships. "The dynamics of the tenant-landlord relationship used to be quite different, and is changing for the better. Critical insights need to be exchanged between the tenant as well as landlord, while educating each other," says Kazim.

Seeking to drive startup innovation in the region, Meydan One will feature an incubation district as a fully-enabled plug-and-play facility for up-and-coming entrepreneurs in fashion, beauty and F&B, among others. These dedicated startup spaces will offer tenants competitive leasing incentives.

The destination will allocate nearly 50 per cent of its leasable area to F&B and entertainment, including a 21-screen cinema with a food court hosting an additional 20 outlets. The development will be serviced by car parking facilities with more than 12,000 spaces.

The destination will serve as the epicentre of the Meydan One residential community, Mohammed Bin Rashid City and District One. The development is also integrated with the Meydan Racecourse.

- business@khaleejtimes.com