
This month Dubai announced grandiose plans to build “the world’s first temperature-controlled city, Mall of the World” in the Al Sufouh district.
Developers Dubai Holding estimate that the decadelong project, which does not yet have a start date, will require $6.8 billion in funding.
If all goes as planned, the self-contained shopping and entertainment complex will include a Broadway-style theater district, a pedestrian walkway modeled on Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, a 4.3-mile retail network of roads based on London’s Oxford Street, 20,000 hotel rooms, underground parking, an indoor family theme park, and a “wellness district” catering to medical tourists.
The Mall of the World will be enclosed by glass roof domes that will produce an 8-million-square-foot temperature-controlled environment where tourists can shop till they drop without ever stepping outside into the punishing 100-degree-plus summer heat. (The glass roof domes will open to let fresh air in during cooler winter months
Here are a few interesting features about the Mall of the World:
Four times the size of Dubai Mall
Located along Shaikh Zayed Road, the mega structure will occupy a total area of 48 million square feet which will be covered by a glass dome. The world’s largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall, covers 13 million square feet, which is about the size of more than 50 football pitches. The proposed indoor city will be nearly four times the area occupied by Dubai Mall. That’s approximately 200 football pitches combined.
Hotel links
Aside from featuring an 8 million square feet of shopping centre, the Mall of the World will provide links to 100 hotels and serviced apartment buildings that have 20,000 rooms.
Theme park
Residents and visitors in Dubai won’t need to venture out of town just to spend a day in a theme park. The Mall of the World complex will house an indoor family theme park, which will be the largest in the world, so it will just be right next door.
Air-conditioned retail streets
For those who dread going to the shops during the summer months, when temperatures hit more than 40 degrees, the Mall of the World may provide a much-needed relief. If plans push through, the complex will feature a seven-kilometre promenade that will be lined with retail shops. Think about taking a stroll down London’s Oxford Street during winter. “Tourists will be able to enjoy a week-long stay without the need to leave the city or use a car,” Dubai Holding said in a statement.
Wellness district
Requiring a cosmetic procedure? How about a surgery? Occupying a total area of 3 million square feet will be the wellness district. This section of the complex will provide wellness and rejuvenation services, a “holistic experience to medical tourists and their families” and ensure access to quality health care, specialized surgical procedures and cosmetic treatments, wellness facilities and high-end hospitality options.
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