BurJuman has recently completed the construction of an Dhs18m 34,000 square foot of retail and restaurant space, which includes a redesigned exterior façade and direct main entrance from Khalid Bin Al Walid Street (Bank Street).

The new space currently has ten retailers, with Unicare medical centre scheduled to open in the next few months along with other tenants by the end of the year.

The expansion is expected to fully complement the existing offer at BurJuman through a vibrant combination of value-added and quality stores in the new wing. BurJuman has shifted many of its existing retailers to the expansion to diversify its offer throughout the mall to provide customers with a wider range of services.

The new wing can also be accessed from inside Paris Gallery, one of BurJuman’s flagship retailers.

Currently, the tenants in the new extension are digital and mobility service providers Cellucom, book store Al Jabre Al Elmiah, Little Things souvenirs shop, Aldo Accessories, Just Optic, Al Ghurair Exchange, coffee house Dome Café and fashion brands Hang Ten, Cerutti, and Manzari Furs. Scheduled to open later in the year include Lebanese restaurant Fairooziyat, men’s French fashion label Marco Serussi Camicia, as well as an expanded branch for Emirates National Bank of Dubai.

‘This expansion is part of a long-term vision and commitment by BurJuman to consistently enhance its shopping offer. The new wing will also provide us with a platform to add several food and beverage (F&B) outlets and retail brands to the centre,’ said Mr. Eisa Adam Ibrahim, General Manager, BurJuman.

The ground-level expansion will also allow for direct access to BurJuman from the Dubai Metro station, scheduled to open in September 2009. Additionally, the new dedicated entrance is aimed at encouraging customers from the surrounding neighborhoods to walk to BurJuman rather than drive, an initiative that earned BurJuman a second place ranking for RTA’s Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport early this year.

With the current expansion, BurJuman’s current 2.8 million square feet has increased to provide even more diverse shopping and dining choices, with more than 300 leading fashion outlets, including Saks 5th Avenue, plus a wide selection of restaurants, cafés and a food court.

(Published on http://www.ameinfo.com on 24th March 2009)