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Mall of the Emirates (MOE), Dubai, UAE
Mall of the Emirates (MOE) (MOTE) is one of the most popular shopping malls in Dubai, located in Al Barsha area. Home of Ski Dubai indoor skifield, a large Carrefour hypermarket, two food courts, its own metro station, a cinema complex, and several hundred shops. Opening times are 10am-10pm Sun-Wed, 10am-12am Thu-Sat, Carrefour open 9am-midnight daily.
Mall of the Emirates opening times and hours
| Shopping Mall | Carrefour | Food Court | Magic Planet | Ski Dubai | Ramadan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday to Wednesday | 1000-2200 (10am-10pm) | 0900-2400 | 1000-2200 | 0930-2400 | 1000-2200 | 1000-0100 |
| Thursday to Saturday | 1000-2400 (10am-12am) | 0900-2400 | 1000-2400 | 1000-0100 | 1000-2400 | 1000-0100 |
- Eid Al Adha shopping hours (in 2013) are 10am to 2am next day (restaurants 3am) from 10 to 19 October 2013, and 24hrs from 15-17 Oct 2013 as part of the Eid in Dubai 24 hour shopping promotion.
- Ramadan timings/hours are daily 1000-0100 next morning including Carrefour supermarket. Most restaurants are closed until Iftar (when fasting ends between 1700 and 1900 in the UAE depending on the time of year that Ramadan occurs). This includes fast food outlets, cafes, coffee shops. Some fast food outlets will be open for takeaways but they cannot be eaten in the mall (at least not in public). One or two restaurants might be open during the day.
Mall of the Emirates information
Mall of the Emirates (MOE or MOTE) is a large shopping mall in the Al Barsha area of Dubai, at the 4th interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road. When the mall opened in 2005, it was the largest shopping mall in the UAE (since overtaken by The Dubai Mall), and the largest outside North America according to MOE, but not according to China. MOE claims to be the world's first "shopping resort", not clear what they mean by that though.
In addition to all the normal facilities - shops, coffee shops, cinemas, supermarket, MOTE's main claim to fame is the large walk-in freezer at the western end where you can go from desert sunshine and 40+ degrees Celcius to skiing and snowboarding on real man-made snow in sub-zero temperatures at Ski Dubai. The Snow Park is if you don't have a snowboard or skis but still want to cool off. Large windows separate the mall from the skifield so you can enjoy the winter scenery while wearing summer clothes.
- Mall of the Emirates is owned by Majid Al Futtaim group. Other MAF Holding shopping malls in the UAE include Deira City Centre, Sharjah City Center, and Ajman City Center. MAF also has shopping malls in other countries.
- Sometimes called The Emirates Mall (but that's not really correct).
- Cost of the Mall of the Emirates was 800+ million dhs.
- Shops started opening around September/October 2005 and official opening was November 2005.
- Awarded with the title of The World's Leading New Shopping Mall in November 2005 at the World Travel Awards in London. This was shortly before it rained in Dubai and the Mall of the Emirates roof leaked.
- Area of 6.5 million square feet with 460+ retail shops (560 brands), 90 eat and drink places, 14 cinemas including Dubai's only Cinemax theater (not the same as the iMax at Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall), the Black Hole of weirdness in the Magic Planet entertainment area (no longer?), and not enough car parks on a Thursday or Friday night (don't park on the pavement - you'll get a ticket).
- Total GLA (gross leasable area) as of September 2013 is 233,000 sq meters.
- DUCTAC (Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre) is on the top floor (location is a bit obscure, it's not well signposted from the mall). DUCTACT holds art and theatre events and classes, including the Dubai Concert Committee classical music concert series. Audience capacity 500 seats.(DUCTAC).
- Kempinski Hotel at Mall of the Emirates has 5 stars, 900 rooms and opened in 2006. For now, it has enough car parks. Apres is a bar in the hotel Kempinski overlooking the ski slopes at Ski Dubai where you can get that genuine authentic apres ski feeling just as if you were in ze French Alps oui?
- Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel is also located at the mall (was previously called the Pullman Hotel). Is also 5 stars.
Shopping mall sizes and areas
Mall of the Emirates (MOE acronym is used more than MOTE) was claimed to be the largest shopping mall outside North America in mid-2006, which would have been correct if China was in North America. South China Mall (opened 2005) is 9.6 million sq ft, Golden Resources Shopping Mall (opened in 2004, also in China) is 7.3 million sq ft, Mall of the Emirates comes in third with 6.5 million square feet. West Edmonton Mall in Canada is 5.4 million sq ft. Those are total areas, not retail area or leasable areas. Anyway, The Dubai Mall opened in 2008 with an area about twice the size of MOE/MOTE.
Mall of the Emirates Evolution 2015
10 Sep 2013: Mall of the Emirates announced Evolution 2015 - an expansion and redevelopment project worth AED 1 billion, due to open in 2015.
- New or redeveloped facilities include a new fashion shopping district, a new area for luxury retail shopping, a new sports and leisure section, more restaurants and cafes, more cinema theatres.
- Phase 1 is a new fashion district opening in early 2014 with 30 international fashion brands, and new cafes. Development cost AED 100 million. Work started mid 2013. Located on the first floor, in the east end of the mall, area 5,000 sq meters (currently where textile, arts, and gift stores are located). Not the same as the Fashion Dome which opened in 2010.
St Moritz Ice Cafe
- If you're feeling hot and bothered after all the shopping, you can cool down at the St Moritz Ice Cafe (open August 2009) in Ski Dubai, without having to pay the Ski Dubai entry fee. Jackets and seat warmers provided so your bare flesh doesn't stick to the ice-chairs. Apparently.
Mall of the Emirates car park charges
MOTE announced that weekend parking would be free after the Dubai Metro starts, irrespective of number of hours. Details below need updating.
As MOTE has a Dubai Metro station connected to it, many commuters will be tempted to use the MOTE car park. To avoid that, MOTE car parking fees start after the Dubai Metro launch date (09 Sep 2009). Car parking fees were first mentioned in June 2009 as possibly applying to customers who stay more than 4 hours in the shopping mall (Dubai Eye radio interview June 2009). Car park charges announced on 22 July 2009 are:
- free for first 3 (or maybe 4) hours on weekdays, first 4 hours all day on weekends (Friday and Saturdays) and public holidays
- additional hour free for those attending the cinema (keep your ticket)
- car parking charges are 20 dhs per additional hour on weekdays, 40 dhs or 60 dhs per hour on weekends, rising to 100-150 dhs for 6-8 hours
- information in table below based on MOTE information and Gulf News report 30 August 2009, not confirmed.
- a lost or damaged ticket will cost AED 150 (unknown how lost ticket claims will be dealt with if customer parked for time period worth in excess of AED 150).
| 0-3 hours | 3rd-4th hour | 4th-6th hour | 6th-7th hour | 7th-8th hour | overnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays (Sunday-Thursday) | free | AED20 | AED20 per hr | AED100 | AED150 | AED350 |
| Weekends (Friday-Saturday) | free | free | AED40-60 free | AED100 free | AED150 free | AED350 free |
| Public holidays | free | free | AED40-60 free | AED100 free | AED150 free | AED350 free |
Mall of the Emirates numbers (August 2009 Emirates Business report)
- Daily footfall 70,000-80,000 weekdays, 100,000-110,000 weekends.
- Annual visitor numbers 23m in 2006, 27m in 2007, 30m in 2008, expected to be 30m in 2009.
Mall of the Emirates expansion 2008-2010 - The Fashion Dome
Majid Al Futtaim Group (MAF) announced 28 September 2008 that they would invest AED 500 million on expansion of shopping, eating, and parking facilities at Mall of the Emirates. Anyone who has tried to find a carpark on a Thursday night will be delighted to hear that. The bad news for car parkers though is that the 750 space car park extension is part of phase II (or perhaps phase I after all - a press release 07 March 2010 said the mall planned to add 750 new car parks as part of the extension due to open in Q3 2010). Phase I is extending the shopping facilities.
- Expansion expected to be completed by early 2010 (cynics will say that's Dubaispeak for late 2010). Update: press release 06 January 2010 says the new extension "is expected to be complete in Q3 of 2010". Update 31 May 2010: Arabian Business reports that Fuad Sharaf, vice president at Mall of the Emirates said the Fashion Dome extension will open on 01 September 2010.
- Total expansion area of about 10,500 sq m with about 40 new shops, and including a 3,400 sq meter ground floor plaza with restaurants.
- Fancy bathrooms are a feature of the new extension apparently. Fuad Sharaf, Vice President of Mall of the Emirates said in a report in The National 26 July 2010 "These are five-star toilets but I keep calling them seven star." An interesting attraction to highlight. Happy flushing, shoppers.
- Valet parking available from ground and first floor entrances to The Fashion Dome.
- Phase II also includes a link to the Dubai Metro. Expected completion of phase II was September 2009 - same time as the Metro started. Metro Link opened then but the Fashion Dome opened a year later on 01 September 2010.
The Fashion Dome list of shops, cafes, and restaurants
- Six new restaurants will open including Al Halabi (Middle Eastern & kebabs), Asha's (Indian), Biella (Italian - moving from 1st floor location), Fauchon (French), More Café, PF Chang's (Chinese from USA), Tribe/Tribes (African).
- Shops include Audemars Piguet, Bottega Veneta (opening announced 11 October 2010), Boutique 1, Brioni, Canali, Cartier, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, D&G, Diane Von Furstenburg, Dior Homme, Gucci, John Galliano, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Missoni, Mulberry, Paul & Joe, See by Chloe, Urban Male Lounge, Versace, Y-3, (Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto).
- Facilities and services include valet parking and a fountain which is a little bit smaller than the Burj Khalifa fountains.
Mall of the Emirates new stores in 2012
- 22 Jul 2012 (press release) - BurgerFuel (Burger Fuel), a NZ hamburger joint (watch out for the beetroot). In the level one food court next to the cinema complex.
- 20 May 2012 (press release) - Sisters Beauty Lounge announced the opening of their store, near the Fashion Dome. Services include All Sisters Beauty Lounge signature nail treatments, Essie polishes, Kerastase and Redken hair treatments, Inoa Amonia free hair colour, Lycon precision waxing, Lash Perfect Eyelash Extensions. Tel +971-4-3792992.
- 06 May 2012 (press release) - 20 new stores open (or coming soon - opening dates in brackets if known), including Aeropostale, Bombay Chowpatty, Burger Fuel, Coach, GAP, IHOP (International House of Pancakes), Just Falafel, Kate Spade (late 2012), La Perla, London Fish & Chips, Longchamps, Prada (Jun 2012), Sister’s Beauty Lounge (mid-2012), Swarovski (mid-2012), The Cheesecake Factory, Top Shop, Victoria’s Secret (mid-2012), Villebrequin. Update 19 May 2012 - some media reports said the mall was undergoing a massive expansion of 93,000 sq meters but that appears to be a misreported figure from the expansion of The Dubai Mall announced in February 2012.
Mall of the Emirates new stores 2010-2011
As of September 2010, MOE has 477 stores plus another 42 in the newly opened Fashion Dome, for a total of 519 outlets.
- Apple shop (not an Apple store - apparently there is a difference) - opening date Wednesday 16 March 2011 at 1700 (5pm) by Virgin Megastores, the first Apple shop in the UAE according to their press release (10 March 2011). Discount of 10% on opening day. Note that it is a computer shop selling the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Apple software (or some of those things); not a very specialised fruit shop.
- Crate & Barrel - a US furniture and homeware store, opening in 2010.
- Gina luxury fashion, bags, shoes, and footwear or something - opening announced 20 March 2011. Press release said "Stepping through the amber mirrored and sophisticated silver Gina motif entrance, one is instantly transported to a world of luxurious accessory seduction and inspiration. ... the subtle juxtaposition of black gloss displays, and amber tinted mirrors against mink and oyster hued suede and velvet surfaces, delights and invites you into a uniquely engaging retail environment." Ah. They might not sell wellies then.
- La Martina - polo and other fashion clothing, opening date October 2010 (10 October 2010 press release).
- Louis Vuitton - reopened (03 April 2011 press release).
- Marks and Spencers - opening date 07 July 2011. Special offer for first 500 customers spending more than AED 100 -they get a free gift bag of beauty products.
- Superdry - youth fashion store, open December 2011
Mall of the Emirates Dubai Metro station and shops
From 09 September 2009, the Dubai Metro will be in operation, and have a stop at Mall of the Emirates. New shops opening in the connection link between the metro station and the main MOTE building include Better Life¹, Borders Express, Cold Stone Creamery, ECity, EMax, Home Sweet Home, Jacky's Electronics¹, Nokia Evo, Paperchase (Express), UAE Exchange (UAExchange).
1. Better Life and Jacky's will be moving from current locations in MOTE.
Mall of the Emirates archive, timeline, history
Car park problems at Mall of the Emirates
03 May 2014: The ground floor car park exit to Sheikh Zayed Road in Sharjah direction (below Ski Dubai) has been closed. Resulting in gridlock in the MOTE car park. No information found or provided about why or how long it will be closed. Allow 30 mins to 1 hour to exit car park if leaving MOTE after about 3pm Thu-Sat, after 5pm Sun-Wed. Update one day in 2015 or 2016 (we don't remember when we noticed): Car park was reopened with new and improved traffic flow ... sort of. It's still very busy on Thursday nights, and all day Fridays and public holidays.
Mall of the Emirates awards that you probably don't really care about
- 'Best Shopping Mall' title at the Best in Dubai Awards 2008 - beating 9 other shopping malls in a voting contest by residents of Dubai.
- 'World's Best Retail Destination of the Year' at the 2008 Retail City Awards.
- 'Best Mall Award' at Grazia Middle East Style Awards 2008.
- 'Brand of the Year' Award at Superbrands 2008.
- Won the 'Best Design and Innovation' award at the ICSC International Design and Development Awards 2007. ICSC is the International Council of Shopping Centers, a global trade organisation representing shopping centers around the world, founded in 1957.
Last update Thursday 24-Nov-2016
Related pages
- Dubai Film Festival - annual film festival in Dubai (December) with most screenings at MOTE.
- Mirdiff City Center - another MAF shopping mall, similar in shape and size as MOE, MOTE.
- MOE Ministry of Education - another MOE in the UAE, but not a shopping mall.
- MOE Ministry of Economy - and another MOE in the UAE.
- Shopping malls in Dubai - list of other Dubai Malls and shopping malls in other emirates.
- Ski Dubai - indoor skiing in Dubai.
- Things to do in Dubai - well, there's shopping.
- Tourist guide to Dubai - more information about shopping in Dubai.
Related websites (new window)
- www.malloftheemirates.com - official Mall of the Emirates website.
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