Mirdif City Centre opens, making green history

The opening of Mirdif City Centre (MCC) has marked a new phase in the region's retail industry thanks to the mall's unique green status.

Adhering to a requirement that all new buildings built post January 2008 be environmentally friendly and meet set criteria, MCC has become the first mall in the Middle East to achieve a "Gold" rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) by the US Green Building Council.

Although green projects cost significantly more to implement, executives from developers Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Properties said incorporating such initiatives from its conception has helped to keep costs of the Dh3 billion mall down.

MAF Properties CEO Peter Walichnowski said: "Planning from the beginning has made the process more efficient and as the long-term owner, this has become a lifestyle project with an intelligent management system and the money will be recuperated over time [through cost savings]."

The scheme has involved such things as using wood from sustainable sources and long-life plastics.

Jonathan Emery, Senior Vice-President of Project Management at MAF Properties added: "We save 20 per cent in energy consumption through these initiatives. During the construction process, we ensured 50 per cent of waste was not going to landfill, which is a remarkable achievement and shifts the benchmark in this region significantly."

Yesterday's ribbon cutting also marked a number of national firsts for a shopping centre, including the highest percentage of stores opening on the first day.

"We opened 1.75 million sq ft of retail today – close to 90 per cent – which globally is an incredible accomplishment. I've been in this region for 17 years and have never seen a centre with this many stores on opening day," said Shahram Shamsaee, Senior Vice-President of Asset Management at MAF Properties, adding that up to 96 per cent of stores will be open within the next six weeks.

In total, MCC covers 196,000 sq m and will eventually house 425 stores, anchored by Carrefour, Centrepoint and Debenhams, creating 5,500 permanent jobs.

The developer is also introducing a number of new brands to the country, including Pottery Barn, Decathlon and American Eagle Outfitters, as well as a number of unique entertainment options, including Aqua Play and I Fly, an indoor parasailing attraction to open in the coming weeks.

As the third property in its portfolio, MCC marks the completion of MAF Properties' destination mall plan for Dubai. It has been in conception for five years and under construction for two, unusually achieving the rare feat of opening on time despite a difficult 2008, which saw a surge in the cost of building materials followed by a deflated market. "Dubai has had challenges over the past 12 months but it remains the number one destination for shopping and tourism in the Middle East," said Walichnowski.

"Sales in our two malls [Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre] dropped below 2008 levels but traffic did not, which proved that visitors to Dubai's malls were still high. Dubai Shopping Festival visitors this year, however, were higher than 2009, indicating consumer sentiment is returning."

MCC has been designed to serve both the 450,000 people living within a 10km radius as well as those residing further afield in the Northern Emirates.

"We see Dubai as a big not a single suburb and as such Mall of the Emirates is picking up trade in that area, and Mirdif will service this part of the community as well as along the Northern Emirates corridor," said Walichnowski. "In any city you have a hierarchy of retail and they all come together to create choice for the customer."

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