Shopping centers – Just getting bigger

ENAR

While still there, although less in Abu Dhabi than Dubai, the traditional, open-air souq is quickly being overshadowed by the modern, air-conditioned mall in the political and financial capitals of the UAE. Dubai dedicates more space to its souqs but it also far surpasses its much larger neighbor in space dedicated to climate-controlled commerce. And both are furiously building more malls. At the end of 2006, the land covered by existing shopping malls in Dubai alone gave the UAE more space dedicated to shopping than any other GCC country will have until 2010, based on announced plans at the time. In May, Dubai announced what is being described as the “world’s largest shopping area” — 3.7 million square kilometers of leasable retail space, or gross leasable area (GLA) in industry lingo. The move added a retail component to the Bawadi development launched last year within Dubailand — the emirate’s 278