Dubai is already home to the tallest tower in the
world, so it was just a matter of time until the glitzy emirate planned
another record-breaking construction.
Its next project involves building the largest shopping mall om the
planet, complete with climate-controlled streets, the world's largest
indoor theme park and 100 hotels and apartments.
In fact, the ambitious emirate has dubbed the project a
'temperature-controlled pedestrian city'.
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Occupying 48 million square feet, the Mall of the World will also
contain health resorts, theatres, a Celebration Steet modelled on the
Ramblas boulevard in Barcelona and 'retail streets network' that will
stretch over four-and-a-half miles.
The grand project is part of Dubai's bid to become a year-round tourism
destination, despite soaring temperatures in summer that can reach
nearly 50C.
The new mall, which will be a city-within-a-city, will be the emirate's
chance to attract visitors even in the height of the summer, by
providing a completely climate-controlled experience.
The shopping mall itself will occupy eight million square feet, housed
below a glass dome, with other attractions extending beyond the central
shopping area.
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In the cooler winter months, the dome will open, allowing people to shop
in the fresh air, closing as the summer heats up.
It is thought the huge construction will attract 180 million visitors a
year and developers hope it will secure Dubai's futures as a tourism
hub.
The emirate's ruler and vice president of the UAE Sheikh Mohammad Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, said: 'This project complements our plans to
transform Dubai into a cultural, tourist and economic hub for the two
billion people living in the region around us; and we are determined to
achieve our vision.
'The growth in family and retail tourism underpins the need to enhance
Dubai’s tourism infrastructure as soon as possible.
'We are confident of our economy’s strength, optimistic about our
country’s future and we continue to broaden our vision.'
The supersized mall will be built near the existing Mall of the
Emirates, already one of the largest shopping centres in the world, with
its own indoor ski slope.
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It will also be a short drive to the world's tallest tower, the Burj
Khalifa, which stands at 2,717ft.
The idea is to create a cultural area, with theatres hosting shows at
West End and Broadway levels, as well as a network of streets that will
be entirely climate controlled.
Sheikh Mohammad stated: 'Our ambitions are higher than having seasonal
tourism - tourism is key driver of our economy and we aim to make the
UAE an attractive destination all-year long.
'This is why we will start working on providing pleasant
temperature-controlled environments during the summer months.' |