Emaar offers first view of 'Downtown Dubai' as The Dubai Mall Leasing Centre opens

He said: "The Centre is a true reflection of Emaar's pioneering vision, creativity and imagination and will showcase the scope and magnitude of this concept and ensure that we attract the world's most coveted brands as part of the Mall's extensive and prestigious retail offering."

One of the key components of this unique retail portfolio will be a host of first-time brands in Dubai which will occupy 45 per cent of the Mall's retail space.

Open for business from 9am-6pm six days a week, The Dubai Mall Leasing Centre will serve as a focal point for retail bookings and trade enquiries and will also attract visitors with its imaginative design.

The Centre, a gateway for global and regional retailers to bring their upmarket brands into the record-breaking mall, will play a strategic role in transforming shopping and leisure in Dubai as the emirate bids to become a leading shopping and lifestyle destination.

Illustrating the grand scale of Emaar's ambitious retail offering will be a gigantic three-dimensional model of The Dubai Mall development offering prospective customers a 'look and feel' of what the real thing will be like upon completion.

In addition, state-of-the-art audio-visual displays, hi-tech plasma screens, and scale models of key attractions within the Mall will give a sense of the vibrancy and excitement which define the upscale retail development.

A 12 million sq. ft. shopping colossus, The Dubai Mall is only one element of Emaar's iconic Burj Dubai Development. The ambitious real estate venture will also feature the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest tower, the Old Town, the Residences, an Office Park and a lush 60-acre landscaped park, all linked by an impressive 3-km long Boulevard. The development will be spread over the 400 acres adjacent to the first interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road.

The Burj Dubai Development is poised to become Dubai's elegant new downtown area in line with similar areas in the great cities of the world. "The Dubai Mall is indisputably the most daring retail property development, not merely in the Middle East but in the world," said Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Emaar Properties' Executive Director for Retail.

The Dubai Mall occupies over 5.6 million sq. ft. of retail space, of which 3.6 million sq. ft. can be leased. It will feature an amalgamation of approximately 10 to 15 individual malls or niches, each catering to distinct product categories.

"The Dubai Mall will form an elite urban centre in Downtown Dubai and will transform the emirate from the shopping capital of the Middle East to the shopping capital of the world," said Al Hashemi. "We have received an overwhelming response from international and regional retailers who want to be part of The Dubai Mall's unrivalled retail environment. This Mall will be home to the globe's most esteemed brand names."

The airy spacious interior of The Dubai Mall Leasing Centre reflects the cool urban chic of the Mall design. A well-designed shop front provides a fitting backdrop to the main entrance.

"With its offer of world class shopping, recreation and amenities, The Dubai Mall will provide the ultimate family shopping experience where there is everything for everyone under one roof, " said Al Hashemi. "Its vast size and comprehensive trade mix will cater to virtually everyone - individuals of all ages, gender, nationalities and demographics.

"We expect to attract 35million visitors in the first full year of business, with a continuing growth of 20 to 30 per cent a year."