Umm Al Quwain residents can’t wait for new mall with top shops

City Mall will be spread over 11,393 square metres and will be home to a number of internatioanl retail outlets, as well as restaurants, such as TGI Friday's.

Some of the brands and restaurants slated to debut in Umm Al Quwain when the new mall opens are Starbucks, TGI Friday’s, Guess, Sharaf DG and Virgin Megastore. Fatima Al Marzooqi/ The National, file

Rezan Oueiti

Nov 20, 2015

UMM AL QUWAIN // Residents are unanimously in praise of moves to build a mall in the emirate that will be ready by the end of 2016.
The 11,393 square metre mall, which will be the emirate's first, is under construction in Al Salama, between Sheikh Khalifa Wedding Hall and Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital. It will bring 30 new shops to Umm Al Quwain.
"The contracting company began building the mall at the beginning of November after they got a building completion certificate on October 22," said Mohammed Nasser, head of the engineering department at UAQ Municipality.
City Mall is being built on a 9,542 square metre plot and it will have a 8,667 sq m ground floor, 470 sq m mezzanine for offices, a 2,201 sq m roof area and a 55 sq m upper roof, with a car park that will accommodate 150 vehicles, Mr Nasser added.
It will house a supermarket, a range of fashion and lifestyle brands such as Babyshop and Patchi and fast-food outlets such as KFC and McDonald's.
Some brands and restaurants will be making their debut in the emirate, such as Starbucks, TGI Friday's, Guess, H&M, Emax, Sharaf DG and Virgin Megastore.
Kareem Khalid, an Egyptian accountant who has lived in UAQ for 15 years, is excited about the mall, which will mean residents do not have to travel as far for necessities.
"It is an amazing project that we've needed for several years. People will easily get what they need and won't go to other emirates because they will have new shops for the first time in UAQ," he said. "And I am sure the mall will attract a high percentage of residents."
The 26-year-old added that the mall will increase competition among restaurants and retailers in the emirate.
Rawan Saleem, from Lebanon, said that the fact the mall is situated in a residential area makes it especially appealing.
"I live in Ajman but I always go to UAQ with my family," the 28-year-old said. "The mall will fulfil the needs of tourists and residents because they can find all their needs and new restaurants and shops in one place, instead of spending time looking for their goods in different shops."
roueiti@thenational.ae