Dubai’s Mall of the World

'20 years ahead' Dubai’s Mall of the World will put the UAE’s shopping

Dubai’s Mall of the World will put the UAE’s shopping and retail sectors 20 years ahead of the region, says the CEO of a leading general trading company.

Midhat M Abu Ghazaleh, the chief executive officer of Abughazaleh Trading Company (ABCO), believes the mega-project, which will include 100 hotels and be capable of receiving 180 million visitors per year, “speaks volumes for the vision of Dubai”.

“Dubai was 10 years ahead of other regional markets as far as shopping and retail are concerned,” he said. “In 1996, the Emirate set itself apart from the region with the launch of the Dubai Shopping Festival, which created a dramatic upswing in the UAE retail sector. Now, with the announcement of Mall of the World, the scale and magnitude have been expanded, which will surely take Dubai 20 years ahead of the regional market.