Page 12 - October 2020

middle east news inbrief

ABU DHABI MEGA PROJECT JUBAIL ISLAND BEGINS DUBAI SAFARI PARK TO RE-OPEN

TO TAKE SHAPE AHEAD OF 2023 OPENING ITS DOORS IN OCTOBER YAS BAY REMAINS ON COURSE
Abu Dhabi-based curator of experiences, Miral,
is continuing work on Yas Bay, which represents
Jubail Island Investment Company (JIIC) has said it has Dubai Municipality has announced that a $1.1bn investment and is an integral part
awarded a contract to design 16 villa and townhouse the Dubai Safari Park will re-open from 5 of Miral’s $3.26bn portfolio of diverse leisure
inbrief
types to be constructed within phase 1 of the AED5bn October, with new measures introduced and entertainment developments under
Jubail Island mega project. to keep visitors safe from the threat of construction on Yas Island. The Etihad Arena
The developer said the designs will cater to the coronavirus. will be the epicentre of Yas Bay’s Waterfront.
“discriminating and diversified buyer demands”, Dawoud Al Hajri, Director-General of
meeting market demand particularly addressing Emirati Dubai Municipality, said the re-opening of
household preferences. the park, a key component in the emirate’s DFC LAUNCHES A FOOD HALL
With AED400M in infrastructure works already list of attractions, shows that the recovery A family-friendly sports and social destination,
underway, having already started in early January, home in the tourism market is gathering pace. Dubai Festival City’s Al Areesh Club has launched
construction is on schedule to start in the first quarter A thermal camera has been installed a food hall concept. The food hall is a modern-
of 2021 with completion slated for 2023, the developer and manual thermometers will be used day food marketplace, which brings together
added. The upcoming sanctuary will offer healthy F&B to screen visitors. The social distancing of artisanal and niche F&B offerings including a live
outlets, a beach club, a business centre, a sports centre, two metres between people will be strictly bakery and a fresh deli among others.
schools, supermarkets, nurseries, a community club and enforced with stickers placed on the floors
specialised clinics. to guide visitors. Vending machines in the
park will also sell masks and gloves while MIDDLE EAST LANDS BOOHOO
hand sanitsiers are provided to every visitor. British fashion e-commerce brand boohoo.com
launches in the Middle East. With seven million
REEM MALL IS PLANNING A active customers across the world, boohoo.com
aims to further tap into its regional auidience with
RETAIL REVOLUTION an exclusive website that will cater to Saudi Arabia,
the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan.

The mall in Abu Dhabi is set to become nucleus of the programme is actually the
the world’s first fully enabled offline-to- single notion that a shopping mall needs ADDED REOPENS ITS CENTRES
online high-tech shopping centre as the to transform from the traditional mall The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic
e-commerce industry continues to grow to an over-arching entity connecting the Development (ADDED) has allowed for the re-
across the region. consumer with the retailer.” opening of recreational and entertainment centres.
Amid the current coronavirus crisis and Customers can take a trip to the mall, ADDED has given permission to the owners and
various lockdown and curfew measures as they normally would, and browse managers of recreational and entertainment play
implemented to stem its spread, the around various stores. However, instead halls to re-establish their activities.
ambitious plans for the $1.2bn mega of making several purchases and carrying
mall will “reinvent the shopping centre shopping bags around, they can buy from
experience for both retailer and customer.” the app and the product will be delivered IKEA CONTINUES TO EXPAND
There are currently around 450 stores, to a digital locker, as part of a logistics hub A second branch of IKEA is set to open in Abu
DUBAI HAS UNVEILED A PLAN FOR GIANT B2B WHOLESALE MARKET AND THE INVESTMENT CORPORATION OF DUBAI SAYS THE INITIAL FOCUS WILL BE ON THREE SECTORS - FURNITURE Dhabi in November as part of expansion plans
AND LIVING, FOOD AND FASHION. THE INVESTMENT CORPORATION OF DUBAI (ICD) SAID THE MARKET WILL BRING TOGETHER BUYERS AND SELLERS TO SAFELY AND EASILY TRADE GOODS including 85 F&B outlets in the mall, with created. It can then be picked up at the
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL YEAR ROUND IN ONE CENTRAL LOCATION. THE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO BE DELIVERED IN PHASES, WITH THE FIRST PHASE COMPRISING OF 400,000SQ M plans to sign every one of them up to the new end of the visit. revealed by the company for the UAE and
OF DEDICATED TRADE FACILITIES INCLUDING ON-SITE STORAGE, BOUTIQUE OFFICES, AN INNOVATION HUB, AND A SMART SERVICE CENTRE TO HOUSE THIRD PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS. mega omni-channel ecosystem, which will be Alternatively, shopping at Reem Mall wider MENA region. The store in Al Wahda
connected to an integrated e-commerce could soon be completed from the comfort Mall was scheduled to open in July, but will
WAITROSE OPENS NEW MOTIONGATE DUBAI AND logistics hub and an aggregated customer app. of your own home and delivered right to now welcome customers in the final quarter
of the year.
your doorstep, similar to Amazon, Noon.
Milat Sayra Berirmen, Digital Innovation
STORE IN DUBAI LAPITA HOTEL RE-OPEN Director for Reem Mall said: “At the com and other online retailers.

The company has opened a new convenience shop in Dubai as part Dubai Parks and Resorts has re-opened Motiongate Dubai and
of its ongoing partnership with Fine Fare Food Market. The store is Lapita Hotel with enhanced safety measures and new offers since
the retailer’s sixth in Dubai and its twelfth in the UAE. 23 September.
Spanning 4,000sq ft, the shop is situated in Al Barari in the heart Motiongate Dubai, the largest Hollywood-inspired theme park
of an active eco-conscious residential development. It will offer in the Middle East, was the first park to reopen at Dubai Parks
productsfrom the retailer’s Essential Waitrose and Waitrose No.1 and Resorts. Dubai Parks and Resorts will soon confirm the
ranges in the categories of fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly baked reopening dates for Bollywood Parks Dubai, Legoland Dubai, and
brand and food to go. The store will also have a vegan section selling Legoland Waterpark Dubai.
quick and easy ready meals and staple vegan items. The store emplys Motiongate Dubai re-opened with enhanced safety measures
16 people and will be run by Fine Fare Food Market with support and there are social distancing measures, limited capacity,
from Waitrose in the UK. It will open seven days a week from 7am enhanced disinfection procedures, hand sanitisers, and contactless
to 11pm. payments across the theme park.
Barry Delehanty, Head of Commercial Sales at Waitrose, said: “We Denis Pascal, General Manager of Motiongate Dubai said: develop...
are continuing to see increasing demand for Waitrose and its food “2020 has been a tough year for all, however we look forward to
products in the UAE and worldwide and are delighted to be working witnessing the joy, laughter and thrilled screams of our guests, as
with our partners in Fine Fare Foods Market to open this store. we begin to create amazing memories again.”

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