Painted by over 500 students from five GEMS Education Schools across Dubai the massive work of art took more than 3,000 hours to produce over recent weeks. The giant 36 x 7 metre educational work of art depicts eco-systems and endangered animals and will be exhibited in Mirdif City Centre Galleria for the next few weeks.

It was unveiled at a special ceremony in the Central Galleria of Mirdif City Centre with students involved in the art project enthralling guests with a dance performance based on the environmental themes of the mural. This was followed by displays from Team Extreme, a high tension bungee acrobatic team from Germany and a parade by the Italian Saltambico troupe of entertainers, all watched by thousands of visitors to the new mall.

Mr Yousif Al Ali, Vice President of Mirdif City Centre, described the art project as perfectly in line with the mall’s core ideals of engaging the community and making a commitment to the environment: “Sustainability and our community are two fundamentals of Mirdif City Centre, and this project embodies both these things.

“Involving and educating the next generation on key issues, such as the protection of the environment and endangered species is so important, and what better way to do this than through the medium of art? The expression created by the students will provide the perfect backdrop to celebrate Mirdif City Centre’s opening week and we are pleased to provide a platform to showcase their talent and learning,” added Al Ali.
The mural project involved primary to secondary school students from five GEMS Education Schools – GEMS Royal Dubai School, The Westminster School, Cambridge International School, The Millennium School, and Al Khaleej National School, in addition to participation by Mawaheb from Beautiful People, a charity that helps children with disabilities through art therapy.

The mural is endorsed by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Environment and Water, and the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF), and depicts six different ecosystems – Mountains, Oceans, Desert, Cold/Polar, Tropical Rainforest, Savannah/Grasslands.

Mirdif City Centre opened this week on 16th March with over 350 stores open for business from day one, making it one of the most impressive openings of a mall ever in this region.

Located on the corner of Tripoli Street and Emirates Road, the new AED 3 Billion, 196,000 square metre mall, was completed in just over two years and has been delivered on time, as promised.

Located on the corner of Tripoli Street and Emirates Road, the new AED 3 Billion, 196,000 square metre mall, was completed in just over two years and has been delivered on time, as promised.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, a seven-day extravaganza of entertainment is scheduled to welcome the first week’s visitors to the mall, including daily shows with the world-renowned Bungee aerial acrobatic troupe – Team Extreme, the unveiling of a giant community eco-art project, and a host of festival parades and performances.

Peter Walichnowski, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Properties – the owner and developer of Mirdif City Centre, said: “Mirdif City Centre shows Majid Al Futtaim Properties’ continuing commitment and confidence in Dubai as the leading retail and leisure destination in the Middle East. It has been delivered on schedule, constructed to the highest quality and environmental standards, and is another example of innovation in design and retail planning by Majid Al Futtaim Properties.”

“Our vision for Mirdif City Centre was to create a large mall offering a full range of shops and experiences but with the friendly feel of a community focused environment. It’s a different kind of mall.”

“Mirdif City Centre is in line with the company’s strategy to develop large destination malls in the three most important trade areas of Dubai – Deira City Centre in the heart of Dubai, Mall of the Emirates in the Southern New Dubai area and now Mirdif City Centre to service North Dubai and the Northern Emirates. All three malls can now provide UAE residents and visitors with the fullest range of retailing, leisure and lifestyle choices found in any great city in the world,” added Walichnowski.

The importance of Mirdif City Centre cannot be underestimated, having created over 16,000 jobs in the development and construction process and 5,500 permanent jobs within the mall complex going forward. It will serve a population of 450,000 within a 10km radius, as well as communities across the rest of Dubai and other emirates.

Mr Shahram Shamsaee, Senior Vice President, Asset Management, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, provided further insight on what makes Mirdif City Centre special: “In a competitive retail market like Dubai, Mirdif City Centre offers the best mix of retail, leisure and entertainment. It provides a distinct point of difference to what else is available, and a testament to this is that the best of both local and international retailers have opened their most successful and recognised brands in Mirdif City Centre.”
The retail mix has been carefully selected to bring customers both popular well-known brands, as well as never-seen-before stores in the region, across retail categories such as fashion, home, services, electronics, entertainment and leisure and as well as essential convenience shopping.

Making their first appearance in the UAE will be the eagerly awaited US brand Pottery Barn, legendary UK fashion label Miss Selfridge, celebrated Australian home-furnishing brand Freedom Furniture, Decathlon, and Office Depot to name a few.

Despite its size, the design of the new mall creates an intimate, warm and welcoming environment. Water features and palms give the impression of an indoor ‘oasis’ that is complemented with plentiful natural light and sophisticated interiors. The mall’s simple but clear layout also provides a logical and understandable flow for visitors that makes navigating Mirdif City Centre easy and convenient.

One of Mirdif City Centre’s distinct points of difference is its approach to sustainability and the environment. Mirdif City Centre will be the first shopping centre in the Middle East to achieve a Gold Rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the sustainability rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Jonathan Emery, Senior Vice President, Project Management, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, highlighted the new mall’s credentials: “We are extremely proud of our achievements in green building and sustainable design, and believe that Mirdif City Centre has set a new benchmark for all malls in the region. The ongoing support for Mirdif City Centre from local residents and government agencies in particular has been phenomenal and the whole team is extremely grateful for their ongoing support.”

Access to the mall is made easy with a sophisticated network of roads, complete with three dedicated bridges allowing convenient access from all directions. While the 7,000 free car parking spaces and twelve entry and exit points means parking is abundant, quick and easy.

Mirdif City Centre aims to become a hub for the greater community of Dubai and is designed to provide a place for people to relax and socialise, as well as enjoy the great shopping and leisure offer.

“The new mall is home to an impressive line-up of over 75 restaurants and cafes with famous names like Tiffinbites and P.F.Chang’s making their debut appearance in the country, as well as regional favourites such as Butcher Shop and Grill, Mango Tree Bistro and Pinkberry,” said Mr. Yousif Al Ali, Vice President of Mirdif City Centre.

“In addition to these, the new mall also provides a range of dedicated services such as community areas, medical clinics, spa services, prayer rooms, personal grooming facilities and a fitness centre that incorporate a perfect balance of public spaces and commercial areas.“

“The entire Mirdif City Centre team is looking forward to welcoming its first customers to this impressive new destination and we are sure they will feel completely at home from day one,” Al Ali adds.

Opening Week Entertainment March 16th- 22nd 2010:

Team Extreme – A unique group of high-tension bungee performers from Germany, who will thrill audiences as they fly around the Mirdif City Centre Galleria at speeds of up to 65km per hour. Team Extreme is the only aerial bungee act in the world and this will be the acrobatic athletes first ever time to Dubai.

Saltimbanco – The ever-popular parade troupe from Italy, who will enchant guests with its performance skills and dazzling costumes.

Community Art Project – Witness the unveiling of an extraordinary community mural project that over 500 students from across Dubai spent more than 3,000 hours painting in recent weeks. The giant 36 x 7 metre educational piece of art is based around eco-systems and endangered animals and will be exhibited in Mirdif City Centre Galleria for two weeks following the launch.

Community Dance Performance – A selection of students involved in the community art project will also enthral guests with a dance performance, based on the environmental themes of the mural.

Giant Video Projection Spheres – These six metre wide state-of-the-art video projection spheres, suspended in the galleria, will screen video footage on the evolution of the community mural project.

Mirdif City Centre Spend and Win March 24th until April 15th – In the weeks following the launch Mirdif City Centre customers could also be in for an additional temptation, with the chance to win any of three Audi cars simply by spending AED 300 or more and entering the draw.

Dubai Fashion Weekend – Hosted at Mirdif City Centre from the 16th-17th April, this event will showcase the stunning line-up of fashion available at the new mall.

Many of the outlets will be making their debut in the region, including PF Chang’s – offering American Chinese cuisine, Tiffinbites – London-based Indian restaurant group, and Abu Sid – Egyptian.

Yousif Al Ali, Vice-President of Mirdif City Centre, said ‘When we planned the leasing for the food and beverage retail outlets, we wanted to put together something for everyone. Not just the variety of tastes, but the different types of visitors we would see. From those that would like to make the most of their time, to the more leisurely customers who want to savour their food and drink with friends. We look forward to welcoming our shoppers to enjoy the amazing F&B selection we have to offer.’

Mirdif City Centre is a development by Majid Al Futtaim Properties with a gross leasable area of 196,000 square metres. It will feature around 430 shops (including Carrefour and Debenhams), parking for 7,000 cars, and an entertainment centre with 10-screen cinema, bowling alley, and indoor ‘iFLY’ sky diving experience.

Charging will begin on September 10 and will only apply to cars parking for more than 3 hours (4 hours at weekends). Those watching movies at the CineStar cinemas will receive free parking for an additional hour.

The move is designed to prevent drivers parking their vehicles for free at the malls and catching the Metro to another destination.

The malls’ owners, the Majid Al Futtaim Group, say the change will not affect the vast majority of shoppers.

The 5-star Pullman Mall of the Emirates will offer 481 rooms (including 94 suites) and will mainly cater to business travellers.

It is expected to open in the latter half of 2010 and will be situated at the Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha.

Pullman is Accor’s upscale business hotel brand. The first Pullman hotel opened in 2007. By 2015 Accor predict there will be around 300 Pullman properties.

In 2011, the Novotel Deira City Centre will be re-branded as a Pullman hotel following an extensive refurbishment project.