For Dubai residents, malls are much more than shopping destinations. They are entertainment centres, grocery stores, play areas for children, walking tracks, tourist destinations and food courts.
Malls in Dubai feature everything from an indoor ski resort to a cat café, a virtual reality park, indoor skydiving, an ice lounge and a tropical rainforest.
A guidebook put together by Brand Dubai details the unique indoor experiences residents and tourists can opt for at malls. The guide is part of the #DubaiDestinations initiative, which encourages the community to experience Dubai in the summer.
We feature the most unique and innovative mall experiences you can try this summer.
1. The Dubai Mall
- VR Park: A virtual and augmented reality destination
Instagram - @vrparkdubai
- Dubai Aquarium
- Mermaids of Arabia: A unique entertainment concept
- Dubai Ice Rink
- Infinity Des Lumières Dubai: A modern art museum offering an immersive digital art experience
2. Mall of the Emirates
- Ski Dubai: An indoor ski resort in the desert.
Instagram - @skidxb
- Dreamscape Middle East: A virtual reality experience
3. Mirdif City Centre
- iFly Dubai: Indoor skydiving that offers a virtual reality experience
Instagram - @iflydubai
- Little Explorers: An edutainment concept for children
4. Dubai Festival City Mall
- Bounce Inc: A trampoline centre
Instagram - @bounceinc
- Bricobilandia Dubai: Indoor playground with a toy city built from famous bricks
5. Galleria Mall Al Wasl
- Adventure Zone: A recreation spot that offers adventurous indoor activities
6. Times Square Centre
- Chillout Ice Lounge: It features ice sculptures, ice seating and tables all at a subzero temperature
Instagram - @chillouticeloungedubai
7. Dubai Hills Mall
- The Storm Coaster: The fastest indoor roller coaster in Dubai
Instagram - @thestormcoaster
8. Nakheel Mall
- Trampo Extreme: Trampolines offer a range of 16 jump activities
9. Mirdif35
- Cat Cafe Vibrissae: You can spend quality time with cats while having a hot cup of coffee
Instagram - @catcafevibrissae
10. Wafi Mall
- Treehouse: A play area for children
11. Al Khawaneej Walk
- Battle Park UAE: Recreational shooting and combat sports park
- Hub Zero Dubai: It is the region's first gaming-inspired entertainment park
12. The Springs Souk
- Dig It: A play space based on a real-life construction site
Instagram - @digitdubai
13. Town Centre
- Cafe Ceramique
- Orange Wheels: Play area
14. Ibn Battuta Mall
- Switch Bowling: A 12-lane bowling alley/entertainment centre
15. The Beach – JBR
- 3D Blacklight Minigolf Dubai: Play minigolf with 3D Glasses
Instagram - @3d_blacklight_minigolf_dubai
16. City Walk
- The Green Planet: A tropical indoor rain forest sustaining over 3,000 plants and animals
Instagram - @thegreenplanetdubai
17. Uptown Mirdif
- Melodica Music Centre
- Medaf: An art community space
18. Al Ferdous
19. Box Park
- Escape The Room: Adventure game where you have 60 minutes to work with your team and crack codes to escape.
- Sketch Art Café: Features a café and a studio.
Instagram - @sketchartcafe
20. Burjuman
- The Edge Adventures: Adventure park features a 20-metre-high zipline
21. J3 Mall
- Xtreme Laser Tag: Features challenges with interactive game formats
22. Golden Mile Galleria
- Little Champions Club Kids Gym
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23. Mercato Mall
- Fun City - Come, Play: Indoor entertainment centre
24. Bluewaters
- Madame Tussauds Dubai: Wax museum
Instagram - @tussaudsdubai
25. Arabian Centre
- Fun Block: Provides a massive play structure
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