WITH the opening of its first Matajer centre in the Al Quoz area last month, Sharjah Holding is well poised to launch this neighbourhood shopping centre concept across the emirate.

The company – a joint venture between the Government of Sharjah and Majid Al Futtaim Properties – is now set to roll out at least eight such similar ventures over the next three years aimed at bring essential services closer to communities in areas such as Al Juraina, Al Mirgab and Al Khan.

The Matajer centre at Al Quoz offers  a gross leasable area (GLA) of 33,000 sq ft and has 17 tenants, with supermarket operator Carrefour being the biggest tenant occupying 17,000 sq ft of space. Other tenants include food and beverage outlets, cafés, laundry services, a pharmacy and bank services.

Matajer brings the design, quality and ambiance that consumers have come to expect from the Majid Al Futtaim’s larger format shopping malls to local communities.

Walid Al Hashimi, CEO, Sharjah Holding, says: “Matajer is neighbourhood shopping centre concept that brings high quality retail brands and services to the community.”

He adds that while there is a strong retail culture in Sharjah, the focus has been development of the larger malls with the neighbourhood market having been somewhat neglected. The Matajer concept is aimed at addressing this gap in the market.

Commenting on the construction of the Matajer centre at Al Quoz, Khalifa bin Braik, vice-president asset management and business development of Sharjah Holding, says: “The project was completed in 15 months. Precast was used for constructing the mall. All finishes and fittings are of very high quality in line with MAF’s concept of luxury malls.

“We have our own standards for the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) systems. The idea behind this is to efficiently manage, operate and maintain malls from a central command location, monitoring various building components such as building management systems, lighting systems, air-conditioning to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon dioxide levels. Sustainability has been a constant focus.”

Matajer ... brings the design, quality and ambiance that consumers have come to expect from Majid Al Futtaim.

The Matajer Al Quoz facility will serve a local area of approximately 16 sq km and 5,000 households.

“Sharjah Holding is focused on delivering a range of well-planned and commercially viable projects, such as Matajer, which we hope will contribute to further economic and strategic progress in Sharjah,” says Salah Butti bin Butti, chairman of Sharjah Holding.

Bin Butti says the company’s key focus is on the development and management of retail and mixed-use projects in Sharjah. He says Sharjah Holding is also working closely with its key stakeholders to meet the growing consumer demand for community retail.

Following the Matajer at Al Quoz, three more centres are currently under development at Al Juraina, Al Mirgab and Al Khan and are all set to open in the first half of 2012. The GLAs of these malls range from 2,000 sq m to 7,500 sq m with around 50 per cent taken up by Carrefour.

A further two malls are expected to be developed during the second half of next year, with a total of eight to 10 malls slated to be operational over the next three years.

Furthermore, Sharjah Holding is also expected to start construction soon on its first gated and masterplanned residential development. Located in close proximity to Sharjah University City, Sharjah International Airport, Saif Zone and the major road links to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the first phase of the project will comprise 42 villas.

Sharjah Holding was set up in 2008 to create an economic model beneficial to both its shareholders.

“Sharjah Holding is the first true public-private partnership (PPP). We have had tremendous support from both stakeholders. The proven track record of MAF Properties, coupled with the ambitious strategy of the Sharjah government, has helped shape our strategy,” says bin Braik. “Sharjah Holding operates in conjunction with the economic and tourism departments, and other entities such as Shurooq in terms of tourism.”