Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has announced that construction of Mall of Oman – its fifth and biggest lifestyle destination in the Sultanate of Oman – is on track with the completion of two major infrastructure milestones.
Set to open in March 2021, the Mall of Oman confirmed delivery of new roads and flyovers, connecting the mall to Interchange No 6 on the Muscat Expressway, and the completion of the Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC) Primary Substation.
Considered to be the biggest project of its kind in the Sultanate, Mall of Oman will have 145,000sqm of retail space, a variety of dining outlets and a range of exciting lifestyle experiences. The mall will also include Oman’s largest VOX Cinemas, a Magic Planet family entertainment centre, a 12,200sqm Carrefour Hypermarket and the largest indoor snow park in the Sultanate.
The development of Mall of Oman is expected to contribute to the Sultanate’s Vision 2040 on economic diversification by creating meaningful job opportunities and raising the living standard of its citizens and residents.
“The tourism and retail sectors are integral to Oman’s economy and are poised to drive economic growth and contribute to diversification in the country. These objectives are aligned with Vision 2040 and we are privileged to be able to contribute to this vision as long-term partners and investors. By developing Mall of Oman, we continue to contribute to the growth of the local tourism industry and enable job creation for residents both during and post construction. A development project of this size and scope is beneficial to Oman’s citizens and residents and will positively contribute to economic and social development in the Sultanate,” said Ghaith Shocair, Chief Executive Officer Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls.
To ease access to the mall, an extensive roads upgrade to interchange number 6 on the Muscat Expressway has been completed, along with four new bridges and an underpass serving the mall. In addition, extensive retaining walls and utility divisions have been completed to facilitate the works. The new access will add to the convenience of visiting the mall as it will directly lead to the 5,200 dedicated parking bays. More than a kilometre of the 12-metre-high retaining walls are now in place, as well as the initial road directional signage for Mall of Oman.
The recently completed and energised MEDC Primary Substation will allow the nine distribution substations in the mall to be progressively energised, which will allow the completion of the Central Cooling Plant and introduction of wild air into the mall.