DUBAI (July 5, 2014)— His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, launched the world’s first temperature-controlled city, Mall of the World, located along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Occupying a total area of 48 million square feet, the project will comprise the largest indoor theme park in the world, which will be covered by a glass dome that will be open during the winter months. The project will also house the largest shopping mall in the world with an area of 8 million square feet, which will take the form of an extended retail street network. Additional districts within the project will include a wellness-dedicated zone catering to medical tourists, a cultural-celebration district as well as a wide range of hospitality options comprising 20,000 hotel rooms designed for all types of tourists. Once completed, the city is projected to become a year-round destination, welcoming about 180 million visitors annually. Commenting on the new project, HH Sheikh Mohammed said, “The growth in family and retail tourism underpins the need to enhance Dubai’s tourism infrastructure as soon as possible. This project complements our plans to transform Dubai into a cultural, tourist and economic hub for the 2 billion people living in the region around us, and we are determined to achieve our vision.” In the presence of His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, chairman of Dubai Holding; Ahmad Bin Byat, chief executive officer of Dubai Holding; and Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, director-general of Protocol Department, Sheikh Mohammed confirmed the need to work toward achieving Dubai’s ambitious tourism vision. “Our ambitions are higher than having seasonal tourism. Tourism is a key driver of our economy, and we aim to make the UAE an attractive destination all year long. This is why we will start working on providing pleasant temperature-controlled environments during the summer months. We are confident of our economy’s strength, optimistic about our country’s future and we continue to broaden our vision,” added His Highness.
Sat, 07/05/2014 - 00:00