This is the first view inside the long-awaited Dubai Mall, which opened to the public on Tuesday afternoon.

The much-delayed Dubai Mall opened its doors at 2pm but analysts have questioned how successful the mall will be given the current economic climate.

The mall, one of the biggest in the world at 12.1 million square feet, will feature more than 1,200 stores and over 160 food and beverage outlets once complete. On day one, approximately 600 outlets were expected to be open to shoppers.

Arabian Business reporter Soren Billing, who was one of the first people inside the mall during a press tour on Tuesday morning, said: “A lot of the stores have yet to open, but the Dubai Mall is definitely worth a visit. The developers have put a lot of effort into making the mall about more than just shopping.
“According to our guide, the corridors have been made wider in order to acommodate large Arab families. There is also more daylight than in many of the other malls, giving parts of it a bit of an “outside” feel.

“The aquarium and discovery centres were impressive but some of the animals looked a little cramped.”

Of the 1,200 retailers, more than 165 are opening in Dubai or the Middle East region for the very first time.

French retailer Galeries Lafayette and US department store Bloomingdale’s have both confirmed they will open outlets at the mall, as has upmarket UK supermarket chain Waitrose.

The mall is being built by Emaar Malls Group and is part of the $20 billion Downtown Burj Dubai, Emaar Properties’ 500-acre flagship project. At its centre is the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building.

Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman, Emaar Properties, said: “The Dubai Mall is Dubai’s tribute to the world of retail and leisure.

“With the mall, we have set a strong platform for growth for the retail sector, one that reflects Dubai’s forward-looking model of creating robust business opportunities for enterprises from around the world.

“The Dubai Mall is, indeed, a confident affirmation of the strong economic fundamentals of the Dubai economy.”

Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre will feature more than 33,000 aquatic animals including sharks and rays, while the Discovery Centre is an educational window to marine life’s myriad attractions.

The Gold Souk with 220 retailers is designed to reflect traditional Arab architectural ethos, and is a celebration of Dubai’s regional hub status in gold and jewellery trade.

(Published on http://www.arabianbusiness.com on Tuesday, 04 November 2008)