Skate park, waterfront retail part of Abu Dhabi Marina Mall’s Dhs3bn expansion

Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall is set to undergo a Dhs3bn expansion programme which will see the development of a new waterfront promenade, the mall’s developer and owner National Investment Corporation (NIC) has announced.

The new promenade, Marina Walk, will offer 546 metres of waterfront views and 123,000 sqm of leisure and entertainment experiences, including Abu Dhabi’s first skate park, a statement said.

It will offer 19,500 sqm of Gross Leasable Area (GLA) including a new dining precinct with a restaurant tower, outdoor experiences through 15,000sqm of open park areas, multiple water features, three helicopter pads and 900 additional parking spaces.

Work on the promenade will also commence in the second half of 2018, NIC said.

Meanwhile the Marina Mall extension will begin with the South Block that will feature global brands, offering luxury and high-end retail, F&B dining facilities and a new residential tower.

The North Block will add new entertainment attractions to the mall, which currently has a bowling alley, a nine-screen VOX cinema, Magic Planet and Bounce Abu Dhabi, the Middle East’s largest indoor trampoline park.

Existing features within the current mall will also be upgraded, including the introduction of LED screens, renovation of current store front fixtures, and enhancing the luxury area and the main entrance.

NIC will commence work on the 300,000 sqm expansion in the second half of 2018, while the upgrades to the mall’s current facilities will begin in early 2018, the statement said.

Located on the tip of the Corniche area, the mall currently offers 122,000sqm of retail space over five levels.

It has over 400 retail and services outlets, including designer and high-street fashion brands, beauty department stores, home furnishings, electronics stores and food & beverage outlets. It also has a Mercedes-Benz car showroom, specialty shops, bank offices and a hypermarket.

The extension is projected to increase footfall at the mall by up to 35 per cent, NIC said.