The wait is (almost) over. After four years of construction, Nakheel Mall has confirmed its opening date as Thursday, November 28.
Located on the main trunk of Palm Jumeirah, the new mall will bring a crop of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues to the residential island.
The mall will have more than 300 stores, restaurants and leisure attractions, spread across five floors, neighbouring The Palm Tower. There will also be 4,000 parking spaces to accommodate guests and customers, as well as its own Palm Monorail station.
Here is what to expect in the new mall ...
Shops at Nakheel Mall
British supermarket Waitrose is set to anchor the new shopping complex. Expect fresh produce, home products and an exceptional selection of dry goods. Other Waitrose stores in the UAE can be found at The Dubai Mall, Al Thanya Road and Marina Mall in Dubai, and Al Raha, Eastern Mangroves, Boutik Mall, Etihad Towers and Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
According to Nakheel, the mall will also be complete with fashion stores, such as H&M, Gant and American Eagle, as well as beauty shops Sephora and Apotheca; gift shops Bath and Body Works and Borders; electronics stores E-City and Emax; and kids' favourite, The Toy Store.
Dining at Nakheel Mall
We already know that popular Taiwanese offering Din Tai Fung is setting up shop at Nakheel Mall, as well as Las Vegas export SushiSamba, which is opening next door atop The Palm Tower.
The mall promises to have "a wide variety" of F&B outlets, with "a wealth of cafes throughout the mall and a causal dining district on the first floor". The mall's Instagram page has teased that frozen yogurt shop Pinkberry will open, as will Shakeaway milkshake bar; the first Shakeaway to open in the UAE. In the region, there are already three branches in Jordan and one is "coming soon" to Iraq, according to the Shakeaway website.
The Noodle House, Wendy's and Starbucks will also be serving up food and drink.
There will be a food court, known as The Eatery, and Depachika, a new food hall concept. It describes itself as "a foodie’s haven inspired by the basement-level food halls found in Japanese department stores – offering a unique dining experience".
Plus, The Rooftop will offer restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating on the top level of the mall.
Entertainment at Nakheel Mall
Palm Jumeirah residents have long been waiting for a cinema on their doorstep. This winter, a 14-screen Vox Cinema complex is set to open.
There is also going to be a Fabyland kids' amusement centre, which can currently be found at Dubai Festival City Mall. Plus, trampoline park Trampo Extreme is expected to set up shop.
A Fitness First gym is also planning to open. There is already a Fitness First on Palm Jumeirah, on the Golden Mile, and the mall is located around three kilometres from the Dubai Media City branch and 4km from The Lakes branch of the gym.
Services at Nakheel Mall
The mall will house a number of essential services, including a Dubai London Clinic medical centre.
There will also be financial services, such as banks and exchange houses, and tailors available at Nakheel Mall.
More information can be found at www.nakheelmall.ae
