Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the UAE, president of Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club, and vice chairman of the Honorary Authority, Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club, Majid Al Futtaim officially broke ground for the AED1.4bn City Centre Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi.
The official groundbreaking ceremony gathered HE Saeed Mohamed Bin Butti Al Qebaisi, chairman of Al Jazira Investment; Mohammed Haji Khouri, vice chairman of Al Jazira Investment and the chairman of City Centre Al Jazira and members of Al Jazira Investment board with senior representatives of Majid Al Futtaim; Alain Bejjani, CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Holding; Robert Welanetz, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim – Properties; Ghaith Shocair, CEO, shopping malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties; and senior representative of Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club.
Strategically located in the heart of Abu Dhabi, between Airport Road and Al Muroor Road, City Centre Al Jazira will showcase beautiful architecture and design and will include 153 retail stores, a Carrefour Hypermarket, a Magic Planet family entertainment destination, a fitness centre, as well as indoor and alfresco dining choices. Total leasable area is expected to be 80,500sqm within a built-up area of 215,000sqm.
Saeed Mohamed Bin Butti Al Qebaisi, chairman of Al Jazira Investment, the official investor of all Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club assets, said: Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club is a well-established name. We believe in empowering our community, and we are thrilled to partner with Majid Al Futtaim which will allow us to have the opportunity to have a major role in building a new lifestyle destination in the heart of Abu Dhabi.
Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club is one of the famous names in the capital of UAE and it is very popular among the youth. Were delighted to partner as investors and strategic partners with Majid Al Futtaim to build City Centre Al Jazira. We trust that this new lifestyle destination will offer Abu Dhabi and its visitors unparalleled experiences, said Mohammed Haji Khouri, vice chairman of Al Jazira Investment and the chairman of City Centre Al Jazira.
We are delighted to partner with Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club to bring our first ever City Centre mall, City Centre Al Jazira to the capital. Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club is a well-established and respected institution, and we hope that together, we will be creating great moments, for everyone, everyday, for the capitals communities, said Shocair. City Centre Al Jazira will be Majid Al Futtaims first super-regional mall in the capital. The UAE capital is enjoying prolific developments with its residential market, world-class infrastructure development projects from transportation, to museums and healthcare, which is positioning Abu Dhabi as a key market for us.
Construction of City Centre Al Jazira is on track and forging ahead, with contractor appointed to deliver the enabling works, which are starting this month. The new super-regional mall is scheduled to open its doors in early 2021.
The project is part of Majid Al Futtaims announcement made in June 2016 to increase its total investment in the UAE by AED30bn by 2026, taking its total investment in the country to AED48bn.