Dubai's Deira City Centre set to get Dh22 million facelift

Mall will have a more open floor plan with extra dining options to be revealed later in the year.

Shoppers walk through the Deira City Centre shopping mall in Dubai. Amy Leang / The National
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Deira City Centre is set to become the latest of Dubai's older malls to receive a multimillion dirham upgrade.

The Dh22 million (US$5.9m) project will revamp the centre court to make it more airy, create easier metro access and upgrade the food court.

"This announcement is in line with Deira City Centre's vision to transform itself as a new, modern lifestyle destination," said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, the senior director of property management at Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

"We're pleased to introduce the redevelopment milestones to shoppers as they accompany us on this exciting journey that will ultimately enhance visitor experience across a number of key areas within the mall."

Developments will be unveiled in stages, starting with a more open floor plan for the centre court in late May.

A direct access ramp will be added to the Dubai Metro entrance by June, and in August extra dining options will be revealed, in addition to more comfortable seating.

Deira City Centre was Majid Al Futtaim Properties' first mall, but remains one of the emirate's most visited destinations, attracting more than 20 million visitors a year.

The centre has more than 370 stores including its anchors Carrefour, Debenhams, Iconic, Sharaf DG, Virgin Megastore and Paris Gallery.

It is one of several older malls in Dubai to undergo an upgrade to compete with the so-called destination shopping centres such as Mall of the Emirates or Dubai Mall.

A Dh2bn project to double the retail space at Dubai's oldest mall, Al Ghurair Centre, and add an entertainment centre featuring an indoor roller coaster and ice rink, will be completed in the summer.

The mall currently features a retail area of 480,000 square feet, with about 200 stores, 20 food and beverage outlets and an eight-screen cinema. The extension will add 375,000 sq ft of total leasable retail space.

Work has also started on a project to revamp BurJuman and expand the mix of entertainment and retail outlets on offer.

The mall will feature a Carrefour hypermarket and a 14-screen Vox Cinema after its redevelopment, which will also double the food court's size. The project is expected to take 18 months.