The Dubai Mall to house the world's largest indoor gold souq

Replete with hundreds of stalls, meandering walkways and traditional souq architecture, the Gold Souq will feature the largest collection of indoor gold retailers under one roof.

The Gold Souq, with a total area of 25331 square metres, will be centrepiece to The Dubai Mall-the world's biggest. Construction of the Dubai Mall which begins this year, nestles in the shadow of Burj Dubai, the world's tallest tower and is pivotal to plans to make Dubai a global shopping capital.

Hundreds of stalls from major gold retail houses will be intricately linked among meandering internal shopping streets bearing the richness of traditional souq architecture. The whole structure will be topped by a breathtaking 50 metre high dome located in the epicenter of the souq which is detailed in the grandeur of historical craft tradition and aimed to provide a major attraction in the heart of The Dubai Mall.

Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Executive Director of EMAAR Properties Retail and Leasing Department said the grandeur and size of the Gold Souq at The Dubai Mall is expected to provide visitors a unique experience.

'The concentration and central location of the souq within the Dubai Mall allows shoppers to be absorbed in the scale, texture and charm of a traditional souq without being distracted by other marvelous attractions of the Mall,' said Mr. Al Hashemi.

'The Gold Souq at the Dubai Mall, while complimenting the existing gold souq and the Gold & Diamond Park, will provide a grand lifestyle dimension to the retail gold and jewellery experience,' he continued. 'The experience of the souq will be a unique and exciting shopping adventure.'

The entrance to the Gold Souq is via the golden Souk Pavilion, in-filled with intricate traditional screen motifs and marks the approach from Grand Drive, giving it an ambience of a glittering pavilion floating on the calmness of a reflective pool.

The preceding Souq Atrium is a colonnaded sky-lit space along the internal shopping concourse. Centrally located is a pond acting as a rest stop and a receptacle for the sky-light above. A three-storey high portal with the traditional wall tile pattern will highlight the main entrance to the souq.

The gold souq entrances are strategically located on four sides of the perimeter to capitalise on the movement and concentration of the shoppers. Internal streets are carefully proportioned to evoke the feeling of a traditional souq whereby a four metre wide 'Walking Lane' is flanked by a two metre 'Shopping Lane', thus allowing shoppers to enjoy the strolling and shopping experiences without encumbering the other.

Two centrally located landscaped courtyards will punctuate the souq street, offering visual relief to the internal street and a brief welcome respite to the shoppers. This courtyard area will also host cafés and refreshment outlets. Cafes and refreshment areas will also be strategically located on the mezzanine floor.

EMAAR's most ambitious retail development yet, The Dubai Mall comprises five million square feet of retail space, additional residential and retail amenities. The mall itself, over 50 soccer pitches in size, will be the largest single shopping space in the world, ahead of both Edmonton Mall, Canada, and the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota.

The Dubai Mall is an integral part of the Burj Dubai project and will provide spectacular views of the world's tallest tower and the surrounding skyline. Hotels, private residences, cinemas and entertainment sites will radiate out in a series of ellipses from Burj Dubai-magnetising interest and prestige to the entire project.