Nakheel chairman unveils Ibn Battuta Mall extension

Today Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah officially opened a 300,000 sqft extension at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, marking the completion of the first phase of a huge expansion.

The extension adds 60 new shops, restaurants, cafés and services to the mall, bringing the total number of outlets to almost 400. Among the new stores are Decathlon, United Furniture, Marks & Spencer, Under Armour, Iconic, Superdry, Jashanmal and Paul, as well as expansions to Homes R Us, which now spans two levels, and Paris Gallery.

This expansion is the springboard for a series of subsequent extensions that will transform the existing Ibn Battuta complex into a giant retail, entertainment and leisure destination spanning seven million sqft.

A two-storey link connecting the mall to Ibn Battuta Metro Station is also due to open in the next few weeks, bringing another 90 outlets including a 24-hour food court, and Ibn Battuta’s first hotel – a 372-room Premier Inn – is scheduled to open later this year.

These will be followed by another 4.7 million sqft development comprising a mall with a glass-covered courtyard, a new cinema complex, a multi-storey car park and another hotel.

“Today’s opening is a significant milestone for Ibn Battuta Mall and Nakheel’s retail business, which continues to grow in line with our company strategy. This extension, coupled with the soon-to-open Metro link and subsequent expansions at Ibn Battuta, cements the mall’s position as one of Dubai’s biggest, most popular destinations, and reinforces Nakheel’s position as a major force within the Dubai retail sector,” says Lootah.