With the integral infrastructure works having been completed on the 20 million sq ft City of Arabia site, an ambitious tourism, leisure and entertainment project in Dubai, superstructure work is set to start on the project’s main components soon.

According to Jocelyn McBride, head of group marketing, Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group: “Work will now be carried out on the Mall of Arabia, the Restless Planet, 34 commercial and residential towers and Wadi Walk, a waterfront community consisting of stylish apartments, outdoor cafes and attractive retail outlets.”
The $5 billion retail, residential, commercial and entertainment destination taking shape at the gateway to Dubailand, had earlier announced that 89 per cent of the Phase One of its Mall of Arabia component had been contracted and reserved.
Anchoring the 4 million sq ft gross leasable area (GLA) spread across the twin-level first phase will be many of the leading brand names managed by two of the Middle East’s biggest retail organisations, Landmark Group and Azadea Group.
With a 6 million sq ft second phase giving it a total GLA of 10 million sq ft, it will be one of the world’s largest malls and a unique retail resort, with more than 1,400 diverse retail outlets, a rooftop hotel, and a unique theme park and edutainment centre, ‘Restless Planet’, featuring the world’s largest collection of animatronic dinosaurs, says a spokesman for the developer.
Between them, Landmark Group and Azadea Group have signed up for a total of more than 800,000 sq ft of retail space in Mall of Arabia’s first phase.
The mall will also use a stunning edutainment experience to help drive business into its 1,400 retail outlets, according to Top American designer Jack Rouse, who has been hired as designer and executive producer for Restless Planet.
Restless Planet will feature the world’s largest collection of animatronic dinosaurs, as well as a variety of spectacular, themed rides, including a river raft journey back to the Mesozoic era through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
The main elements will include 34 commercial and residential towers, and Wadi Walk, a waterfront community consisting of stylish apartments, outdoor cafes and attractive retail outlets set alongside an 8 km long canal.
The project will also be serviced by the City of Arabia monorail, which will provide a comfortable and convenient link to all the major theme parks and shopping areas and eventually be linked to the Dubai Metro.
City of Arabia will have a phased opening starting towards the end of 2010.