Architecture

World's largest mall slated for Dubai

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The Mall of the World, by property development group Dubai Holding (Image: Dubai Holding)
The Mall of the World measures 743,224 sq m (8 million sq ft) (Image: Dubai Holding)
The Mall of the World will feature the world's largest indoor theme part, a wellness district catering to medical tourists, and a cultural district (Image: Dubai Holding)
The Mall of the World, by property development group Dubai Holding (Image: Dubai Holding)
The cultural district contains a series of locations based on New York’s Broadway, Barcelona' Ramblas Street, and London’s Oxford Street (Image: Dubai Holding)
A temperature-controlled street network spreads over 4.3 miles (7 km) (Image: Dubai Holding)
Dubai Holding has released no firm dates or budget for the project (Image: Dubai Holding)
The Mall of the World measures 743,224 sq m (8 million sq ft) (Image: Dubai Holding)
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Already home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, Dubai may soon boast bragging rights for the world's largest mall too. Described as a climate-controlled city by developers Dubai Holding, the Mall of the World project was officially launched a few days ago by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai Holding hasn't revealed firm dates nor a budget for the project yet, but we do know some basic information. It comprises 743,224 sq m (8 million sq ft) of floorspace, which makes it easily the largest mall in the world, a shade larger than China's Forbidden City, and about four times the size of France's Louvre Palace. However, it's still some way behind China's New Century Global Center.

The cultural district contains a series of locations based on New York’s Broadway, Barcelona' Ramblas Street, and London’s Oxford Street (Image: Dubai Holding)

The Mall of the World will feature the world's largest indoor theme park, covered by a glass dome that's left opened during the winter, in addition to a wellness district that caters to medical tourists. The project also calls for a cultural district that contains a series of locations based upon New York’s Broadway, Barcelona's Ramblas Street, and London’s Oxford Street.

A temperature-controlled street network that spreads over 4.3 miles (7 km) should keep help the estimated 1.8 million visitors per year comfortable while spending their money, and there will be 100 hotels and apartments, with 20,000 hotel rooms available for those who literally shop until they drop.

Though it reads like a fantastical project that will never happen, this is Dubai, so you never know ...

Source: Dubai Holding

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3 comments
Slowburn
I hope they have a plan on how to recycle the energy from the heat pumps.
Mel Tisdale
What on earth is Dubai going to do when the oil money runs out and its population starts asking awkward questions about the profligate spending it has embarked upon recently? I think they would surely prefer that the money went into a sovereign wealth fund, the way Norway has done with its share of North Sea oil than wasted on extravagant ventures like this.
One wonders if Dubai's leaders even know that consumerism is not long for this world. If they haven't got a plan B for what to do with it when that time comes, then it is going to be a very large monument to short-sightedness.
Riaanh
@ Mel Their extravagent ventures is not aimed at the local population, but is indeed aimed at setting up Dubai as the consumerism capital of the world. - Aimed squarly at the international consumer tourist, for example as mentioned in the artical amongst others, medical tourists. So if you wife wants a face-lift, you book her in for a "holiday"at Dubai, and she comes back amazingly refreshed, with reclaimed youth. In the meantime they made money of the procedure, for the hospital stay, hotel stay during the recupuration period, and all the shopping which she did to boost herself.
Who needs oil?