Damac Group inaugurated a new community mall in Damac Hills 1 on Friday, announcing plans to construct six additional shopping centers across the United Arab Emirates.
Hussain Sajwani, founder and chairman of Damac, said in an interview with Khaleej Times, “We are going to focus on community malls and will not compete with large ones. We plan to build similar malls in Lagoons and are looking at creating half a dozen more in the UAE.”
The new mall covers 110,000 square feet and offers a variety of retail, hospitality, leisure, and entertainment options. It houses 30 retail stores and 10 food and beverage outlets, featuring both international and local brands. A 28,000-square-foot Spinneys supermarket, Starbucks, Papa John’s, Vietnamese Foodies, and other businesses are now open, with a 9,000-square-foot gym and an 8,000-square-foot medical facility to follow soon.
The move comes as the UAE’s retail sector shows strong recovery in the post-pandemic period, boosted by increased foreign tourism and population growth. Consumer spending in the country has surged by a double-digit percentage over the past two years.
The six forthcoming malls are expected to generate hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs in the retail sector. Damac is also diversifying its mall offerings by including medical centers, indoor sports facilities, and new F&B brands to attract a larger customer base. The recently opened mall in Damac Hills 1 is projected to draw an annual footfall of around 1.3 million visitors.
Amira Sajwani, managing director for sales and development at Damac Properties, said, “Damac is committed to consistently improving the quality of life for our residents and transforming our communities into dynamic spaces that offer unmatched convenience and satisfaction.”
Since its inception in 2002, Damac has delivered about 46,000 homes and partnered with renowned global brands such as Versace, Cavalli, and Rotana.