“Work on Dubai Festival City’s (DFC) impressive ‘urban retail resort’, Festival Centre, is on track for a grand opening this autumn,” says a DFC spokesman.

“Buoyed by the successful opening of the first phase last November, which saw the launch of the UAE’s largest Ikea at the site, the Festival Centre will open its doors to the public as scheduled,” he adds.
“Substructure and superstructure activities are currently approaching completion with the installation of the feature roofs and structural steel elements well under way,” said Phil McArthur, director leasing and marketing, DFC.
“Services installation works are proceeding throughout, as are the finishes works to the basement car park areas. We are now moving into the finishing phase of the main retail mall which will continue in parallel with the tenants’ fit-out activities that will commence in the New Year.”
He adds: “To ensure that the project remains on track, construction programmes are being continually assessed to identify opportunities to improve the methodology, and sequencing of the works.
“Careful consideration has also been taken to ensure that the on-going construction does not cause any disruption to the already opened retail and community elements.
“To ensure the public are safeguarded during construction, the DFC road network has been designed and implemented in a way that will allow unrestricted public access and parking, whilst ensuring construction traffic and activity is segregated from the completed facilities such as Ikea and the schools,” said McArthur. 
“This has given cause for a positive customer experience and at the same time allowed construction to continue unhindered.”
“At present, 4,500 workers are involved in the construction of DFC with the number likely to rise to over 8,500 as the project nears completion,” he added.