Abu Dhabi’s Al Khalidiyah Mall To Open New Samsung, Victoria’s Secret Stores

Abu Dhabi’s Al Khalidiyah Mall has added a number of international retail units to its current offering including new Samsung and Victoria’s Secret stores, the mall’s management said.

Other top brands that recently opened in the mall include bookshop Borders and cosmetics outlet Inglot.

The retailer also recorded a rising interest from a number of British brands with the opening of department store Matalan and designer brand F&F.

Mothercare and Beyond the Beach were some of the specialist retailers newly launched in the mall.

Al Khalidiyah Mall, which has 110 stores, has also launched a brand new 3D cinema and a bowling alley to improve its current entertainment and leisure options.

Abu Dhabi’s retail sector has been seeing strong investor interest owing to a surge in demand while a number of existing malls have been expanding and renovating their offerings.

LuLu Group recently launched its largest hypermarket in the emirate in Capital Mall while Aldar Properties announced plans to open a 2.5 million sq ft ‘super regional’ Yas Mall On the Yas Island. Yas Mall is also expected to be the second largest mall in the UAE after the Dubai Mall, according to the developer.

Abu Dhabi also recently opened The Galleria mall, a 33, 000 sq m destination which includes 125 retail and F&B units, and the capital is preparing to open other major malls including Sowwah Central in Sowwah Square, Saadiyat Mall and Reef Mall.

Property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) estimated that over 600,000 square metres of new retail gross leased area (GLA) are expected to enter the capital’s market between 2014 and 2017.

By the end of 2015, total retail space across Abu Dhabi is expected to reach around 2.6 million sq m of GLA, JLL said.

A young population, strong brand association, solid household consumption and modern retail concepts coupled with a flourishing tourism sector are some of the factors aiding the growth of the UAE’s retail sector, according to experts.