The motto of Dubai is to live life king-size. Luxury defines Dubai aptly, and The Dubai Mall is an exemplar precedent of this. The mall has effectively changed the understanding of prosperity and how people view shopping and leisure. it is a paradise not just for shopaholics, but also for adventurers, gamers, and entertainment lovers. The mall was built in the heart of the city, initially referred to as βDowntown Burj Dubaiβ, now βDowntown Dubaiβ. Let us look at some of the interesting Dubai Mall Facts.
Unbelievable Dubai Mall Facts
The Dubai Mall was developed by the partnership of Dutco, Balfour Beatty, Al Gandhi, and Turner. Besides workers from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, guest workers from Sri Lanka also worked on the building. Dubai Mall has a number of accomplishments; let’s learn some of the Dubai Mall facts.
1. Mammoth of Visitors
When the mall was officially opened, it welcomed visitors with 1,000 stores, only the second-largest opening in history after the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, which created history in 1981.
Within five days, the Dubai Mall sold about 60,000 tickets for the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre. In 2009, 37 million visitors visited the mall, and every year the mall observes a footfall of around 75 million, apparently the largest visited building in the world. In 2015, 92 million guests visited the mall and 85 million in 2019.
2. Fashion District
You must have heard the saying ‘shop till you dropβ. Well, the Dubai Mall brings this saying to life. Wondering how many shops in Dubai Mall? There are about 1200 retail stores ranging from luxury brands of clothes, shoes, electronics, jewellery, watches, and many others. some of the stores here are flagship stores with no outlet anywhere in the country, like Adidas, Moschino, and Boucheron. Fashion Avenue is home to over 150 luxury shops and restaurants and more than 70 high fashion outlets.
At the mall, you not only see grandeur but feel like one too. You receive 5-star service from the time you step into the mall. You get services like VIP valet, in-mall chauffeur, and Shop & Drop delivery. Galeries Lafayette (France) and Bloomingdaleβs (America) are the first outlets of the two stores in the Middle East region.Β To shop for traditional Arab fashion and taste authentic Dubai platters, visit Souk Al Bahar. This Arab marketplace offers an array of jewellery, Arab clothing, and accessories and handicraft stores. Here you can take in amazing views of Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain. At Level Shoe District, you will experience footwear shopping at a whole new level. Around 250 designers are showcased in 40 selected boutiques. Luxury, style, and modernity meet here.
Another shopping district, The Village, boasts a retractable roof that opens during winter to give shoppers a realistic feel while shopping. The Village hosts popular casual, denim, and activewear brands. Besides these, you find high fashion labels like Balenciaga, Manolo Blahnik, Elie Saab, Bulgari, Christian Louboutin, Steve Madden, Jimmy Choo, and Saint Laurent. In 2010, the Grazia Style Awards awarded the mall with the best overall shopping experience.Β
3. Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
Not only is Dubai Mall the biggest mall in the world, but it also hosts attractions that are recipients of world records and even Guinness Records. The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is a centre attraction of the Dubai Mall. It is the largest indoor aquarium in the world. It can hold 10 million litres of water and over 33,000 species of aquatic creatures. The aquarium tank, 51 metres long, 20 metres wide and 11 metres high, holds the Guinness World Record for the largest shopping mall aquarium in the world.
The 270-degree walk-through tunnel that allows the public to see the beautiful and diverse range of marine animals is 11 metres above the aquarium. The Underwater Zoo is made of an acrylic panel that measures 108 feet in width, 27 feet in height, and 29.5 inches thick. It weighs 541,486 pounds and has also made its way into the Guinness World Record as the largest acrylic panel in the world. A unique βlunar-cyclicβ lighting system has been installed in the tank that changes the environment inside the tank depending on the time of the day.Β
The Aquarium houses various aquatic organisms like 400 sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, Sand Tiger sharks, fishes, penguins, a massive crocodile (King Croc), turtles, seahorses, and otters. You can not only enjoy it from the outside, but you can also participate in activities inside the aquarium, such as cage snorkelling, a glass bottom boat ride, and an adventurous and daring shark dive for the daredevils that allows them to swim in close proximity to sharks and rays.
4. Dubai Mall: Beyond Size and Cost
The Dubai Mall cost an enormous sum of $20 billion. Unsurprisingly, a considerable amount had to be spent to build a mall on such a large scale. The Reel Cinemas, one of the largest cinemas in the world, span over 150,000 sq. ft. The movie theatre has 22 screens and can house 2,800 people at a time. Fashion Avenue expands to 440,000 sq. ft.; Level Shoe Strict to 96,000 sq. ft.; KidZania to 80,000 sq. ft. and Candylicious to over 10,000 sq. ft. Dubai Fountain, also within the premises of Dubai Mall, is contained in the 30 acre Burj Khalifa Lake.Β
Are you wondering, βis Dubai Mall the biggest mall in the worldβ? It is the second largest mall in the world in terms of Dubai Mall area in km but the 26th largest in regards to net leasable area. The mall spans an area of 12 million sq. ft., and the Dubai Mall area in km covers 1.12 sq. km. The Mall is big enough to fit 50 football fields.
5. Age-Old Friend
One of the interesting facts about Dubai Mall is that a 155-million year old Dino friend from the Late Jurassic Period is installed in The Souk.
Diplodocus Longus, 24.4 meters long and 7.6 meters high, this creature of the pre-historic era was a long-necked, whip-tail sauropod. The dinosaur structure is not a silicone or plastic replica, but authentic remains of the mentioned animal.
6. Largest Display Screen
The largest OLED screen in the world is installed above the acrylic panel above the Dubai Aquarium. The screen occupies around 710 sq. ft., and the screen has a maddening resolution of 1,700,352,000 pixels, the highest resolution video wall in the world. With so many large records in the world, it is no wonder the preparation of Dubai Mall cost so much.
7. Illumination Waterfall
The Dubai Mall has made sure not to overlook any aspect of making people go wow. They hold many world records and also store a beautiful waterfall inside the premises. And an illuminated one at that.
The straight cascading waterfall has some silver sculptures that dive with the waterfall’s flow. Here’s the catch, if you stare at one diver, the others seem to disappear. Magical, right? Take a seat in a cafe opposite the cascade and experience it yourself.
8. Real Jungle Experience – Most Interesting Dubai Mall Facts
One of the most intriguing Dubai Mall facts is the Rainforest CafΓ©. This jungle-themed restaurant stimulates the conditions of a real jungle through light shows and other effects to give you an actual encounter with the jungle in an urban environment.
9. Thrilling Flight
Attention, all flight enthusiasts and thrill lovers, experience flying the worldβs largest commercial aeroplane on the Emirates A380 Experience, a cutting-edge flight simulator. In this, you come face to face with the challenges and anxiety of flying an aircraft. You can choose your flight route and airport, earn points, and test your skills.
10. Destination in Itself
You know how many shops in Dubai Mall? Quite a few. But the mall is not just about shopping. It has many other attractions that allow people and kids of all ages to enjoy themselves. Whiz past the Burj Khalifa at EKartZabeel, an open-air track, or play at Zabeel Sports District. Immerse yourself in the world of Sega games at the Sega Republic, with the most popular being the VR Park, where you can experience virtual reality video gaming.
KidZania and Candylicious are the perfect play areas for children – contains all the possible candies in the world with fun and adventure. What about some thrills? Dubai Mall also takes care of that aspect for you. Hysteria, a haunted house, contains special effects and scary masks to make the visitors feel chilled to their bones.Β
One of the Dubai Mall facts is Dubai Mall Ice Rink is twice the size of NHL standards and big enough to hold Olympic events. The Emirates Hockey League occurs at this rink. You also have accommodation options in the mall itself, like Address Dubai Mall, Address Downtown, Address Sky View, Address Boulevard, and Address Fountain Views, which offer luxury and splendour to their visitors. Also, you have direct access to the Dubai Metro from the mall through the Link Bridge. And to provide more ease to its visitors, the mall has a garage with a capacity of 14,000 cars.
Wrapping Up
If you are looking for a place that offers you all kinds of experiences under one roof, you should visit the Dubai Mall once in your life. Shopaholics, thrill seekers, history lovers, adventure enthusiasts, or culinary connoisseurs, the mall is large and diverse enough to meet everyoneβs needs.Β
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Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
The Mall contains many luxury brands, restaurants, attractions, and a cinema hall.
The Dubai Mall is built over an area of 12 million sq. ft. The internal floor area is 5.9 million sq. ft.
The Mall was a part of the flagship mega-project undertaken by Emaar Properties.
The Dubai Mall is the biggest in Dubai in terms of its construction area.
The Dubai Mall is the World's No. 1 Mall in the world.
The Mall has 1200 retail stores, 2 anchor department stores, and more than 200 eateries, spread over an area of 3.77 million sq. ft.
It took 4 years to build the Dubai Mall. What Is Special About Dubai Mall?
How Big Is the Dubai Mall?
Who Made Dubai Mall?
What Is the Biggest Mall in Dubai Called?
Which Is the No.1 Mall in the World?
How Many Stores Does Dubai Mall Have?
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