Abu Dhabi will soon have its own world-class ski slope and a state-of-the-art ice rink when the Marina Mall extension project is completed shortly on a fast-track.

Being built at a cost of Dh184.4 million ($50.2 million), the new expansion includes two basement levels, a ground floor, first floor, roof level, a Snow World and a 122-m-high tower.
The new extension is interconnected to the existing mall on the west side through all the three public corridors at the ground and first floor levels. The overall built-up area including the tower is approximately 100,000 sq m of which 43,873 sq m will be retail areas. The remaining area will comprise car-parking and circulation areas. The extension consists of retail shops, departmental store, bowling alley and the Snow World, which includes a ice skating and skiing facilities.
The Marina Mall represents one of the largest and most important retail developments in Abu Dhabi. Situated on the Abu Dhabi breakwater and surrounded by the azure water of the Arabian Gulf, the mall currently covers a gross built-up area of 125,000 sq m spread over four levels. The development offers 3,500 parking bays, 400 of which are in the underground basement.
The Marina Mall, which was opened in March 2001, is already a signature building of Abu Dhabi and regarded as a shopping haven for the upper middle class – a fact that is manifested by the ever-increasing number of visitors that frequent the mall. It receives an impressive 23,000 visitors per day (averaged) and has recently decided to go ahead with the second phase of the project involving infrastructure and facilities to target the larger market segments.
The second phase, which is well under way, will boost the existing 70,000 sq m gross leasable area to over 113,000 sq m. In terms of number of stores, the second phase extension will add a further 180 retail outlets to the existing 165 outlets in the mall, giving it 345 shops, all carefully selected to ensure that the tenant mix meets the demands of its shoppers.
The entertainment complex in Phase II will include a 32-lane, state-of-the-art bowling alley and a 4,000 sq m indoor Alpine-themed snow park called X-treme with a ski slope, ice rink, snow tubing, climbing wall, Swiss chalet restaurant and other winter-related leisure attractions.
To accommodate the anticipated flow of shoppers to this part of the mall, a two-storey basement car-park with space for 720 vehicles is also being constructed.
The 122-m-high viewing tower of the project is now clearly visible from across the main corniche.  The tower will offer visitors a 360-degree view of the picturesque capital skyline against the Arabian Sea, the upcoming Lulu Island and the magnificent Emirates Palace Hotel. The tower building comprises a hollow elliptical shape with some service floors up to +96 m, while the top three floors accommodate a viewing gallery, restaurant and a mechanical floor. The tower is served by one service lift and two panoramic lifts along with two staircases running down the tower.
Work on the project, which comprises three components – the mall, the tower and the snow world – started in January 2004. Work on the mall is in the finishing stage with partial handover of the first retail facilities in the mall already commenced.
Commenting on the challenges of the project, a spokesman for the main contractor Emirates Belbadi Contracting Group (Belbadi) says: “The project presented a number of challenges. Access was one of the hurdles faced the existing marina mall occupies one side of the project. Hence, crane slots were provided in the foundation in order to reach every corner of the project to facilitate erection of slab and beams.
“In addition, there have been a number of changes in the design during the execution of the project to meet the tenants’ requirements.
“The project is being implemented on a fast-track basis in order to enable the tenants to start fitting out works to allow the mall to open on time.
“Another major challenge was the construction of the restaurant and viewing galley slab at +99 m. To facilitate work, temporary steel platforms, cantilevered at 14 m around the tower in an elliptical shape, are erected at the level.”
The mall is owned and managed by National Investment Corporation (NIC). The consultant on the phase II development is Architectural Consulting Group, while the MEP consultant is Ian Banham and Associates.
With 165 retail outlets, Marina Mall already offers a wide variety of merchandise from jewellery and watches to designer clothing and electronics, children’s wear, sports goods, perfumes and cosmetics, shoes and accessories, gift and household items.
On the food and entertainment front, the mall has a wide variety of coffee shops and restaurants, a large entertainment centre that features state-of-the-art rides, games, Internet access and a host of attractions for all age groups.
Marina Mall is also home to one of the largest cinema multiplexes in the UAE with nine screens and 2,500 seats, operated by Cinestar.
This landmark shopping and entertainment destination – which received 7.6 million people last year – is now predicted to have an even larger footfall as soon as the new section is opened for the public and is expected to dominate the retail scene in Abu Dhabi for a considerable period of time.