The Grove at The Dubai Mall brings city's first indoor-outdoor retail streetscape concept to Dubai

Set to be an ideal lifestyle destination, The Grove at The Dubai Mall, featuring a state-of-the-art retractable roof, will offer customers the innovative experience of enjoying a year-round retail and leisure environment.

The Grove is the only precinct in The Dubai Mall where retailer store fronts have been pre-designed to tie in with the overall open-air streetscape concept.

For customers, this means shopping can be enjoyed in a visually appealing and leisure-driven environment that celebrates the delights of the outdoor life.

If the weather conditions are not conducive - such as days being excessively hot, humid, cold or rainy - the roof can be retracted in a few minutes using the latest transfer technology, thus giving visitors the comfort and protection of indoor shopping but with all the aesthetics to offer a strong outdoor appeal.

At The Grove, shopping and dining can be experienced year-round in a relaxing, al fresco environment with built-in design elements such as fountains, lush landscaping and upper level balconies overlooking the retail outlets.

This will be particularly appealing for outdoor enthusiasts - especially the tourists who are attracted to the sunny weather conditions of Dubai.

Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall said:

"The Grove, a themed precinct, places strong emphasis on outdoor lifestyle, sports and leisure. The sophistication of the retail and leisure offer is matched by its retractable roof - a first for Dubai - which can open in the pleasant winter months and close to protect customers against the extreme heat of the summer months while offering the feel of an open-air outdoor streetscape. The Grove thus becomes a true celebration of outdoor living in a mall environment."

He added: "The Grove at The Dubai Mall will feature a range of active lifestyle retailers and a food & beverage offer to match. Confirmed retailers include Golf House, Nautica, Rockport, Greg Norman, Caterpillar, Merril, Gant, Adidas, Nike and Timberland, among others. The cafés and restaurants offer a casual dining experience in a relaxing outdoor environment."

The Grove also plays a key role in the overall safety parameters of the mall including a smoke extraction plan, as the roof opens automatically in connection with the mall's integrated fire alarm system.

At least 30 square metre of roof area will be open before the alarm has sounded for 60 seconds, which is in line with internationally accepted safety parameters.

With a gross leasable area of 3.77 million sq ft featuring more than 1,200 stores, The Dubai Mall is an integral component of Downtown Burj Dubai, a 500-acre mixed-use development anchored by the iconic Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building and free-standing structure.

Amongst The Dubai Mall's other world-class attractions are an Aquarium with a 180 degree walkthrough tunnel; the region's first SEGA indoor theme park; an Olympic-size Ice Rink; the world's largest indoor Gold Souk; KidZania, a unique children's 'edu-tainment' concept and a 22-screen Cineplex.

In addition, there are over 14,000 undercover car park spaces and an adjoining luxury 5-star hotel - The Address, Dubai Mall - with 250 rooms and 450 serviced apartments.

Set to open later this year, The Dubai Mall expects an estimated 30 million visitors within the first year of trade.