Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall developer, communities, retail, and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, has officially opened its newest lifestyle and retail experience in the Northern Emirates, the AED2.6 billion ($708 million) City Centre Al Zahia.

 

Featuring distinct architecture and offering exceptional hospitality options, the City Centre Al Zahia is expected to become a popular destination within the emirate, with art and culture at the heart of the unique experiences it offers.

 

Crucially, the mall will also connect seamlessly to Majid Al Futtaim’s one-million-square-metre residential community, Al Zahia. 

 

A short walk away from the new mall, Al Zahia has been envisioned as Sharjah’s premier lifestyle destination and is part of the strategic partnership between Majid Al Futtaim Properties and Sharjah Asset Management.

 

Majid Al Futtaim said in addition to featuring artistic, social, theatrical and sporting hubs, the mall will feature professional and educational workspaces, as well as a grand plaza offering access to children’s play areas, and an art zone. 

 

Visitors will also be treated to a range of unique experiences, such as the lively Tom & Jerry Cheese Town.

 

Additionally, the mall will feature familiar names and popular retailers ranging from the footwear and fashion accessory store, Steve Madden, to Pandora, Centrepoint, and the regionally-beloved Ajmal and Damas, it stated. 

 

The destination will become an incubator for home-grown, regional and international brands, including nine retailers such as Lululemon, Crate and Barrel, and Lego new to the Sharjah market, it added.

 

Speaking at the opening, Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls CEO Shireen El Khatib said: "The only new super-regional mall to be launched in the Mena in the wake of Covid-19, City Centre Al Zahia is a testament to the resolve, commitment and optimistic spirit of Sharjah and the wider northern emirates."

 

"An immersive destination designed to bring people together, the mall is an achievement of hope and innovation in the face of adversity," he stated.

 

The mall has partnered with the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah, with students from both institutions and faculty members offering lectures and workshops on architecture, photography, filmmaking and art. 

 

These classes and seminars will be held in a new and modern in-mall art centre, The Studio, and will cement the partnership, exhibiting award-winning projects and engagements all year round.

 

Fuad Sharaf, the Managing Director, UAE Shopping Malls, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: "Sharjah is home to over 18-plus museums and hosts an inspiring range of illustrious events and gatherings including the Sharjah Biennial, the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Sharjah Architecture Triennial."

 

"With the arts being so vital to life and culture in the emirate, it is only fitting that City Centre Al Zahia reflects this vision, becoming a focal point and pillar of the community while offering people a platform to entertain and educate themselves in equal measure," he noted.

 

City Centre Al Zahia has the proud distinction of being Majid Al Futtaim’s 28th shopping mall in the region, he added.