The world’s top 250 retailers have opened debut stores in new markets, with more than half of them either in Central Europe or the Middle East, particularly Kuwait and the UAE, according to an expert.

Quoting Deloitte’s ‘Global Powers of Retailing Report,’ Bassam Saleh, marketing manager of Bawadi Mall in Al Ain, said the UAE plays a vital role in international expansion of retail business.

A recent survey by Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi revealed that Al Ain, which has a population of around 586,000, will see it rising to one million by 2030.

This has highlighted the need of more diverse retail services in the city, in order to meet the expected demand of a multi-cultural community.

“We at Bawadi Mall aim to make a strong contribution to raising the quality of life of Al Ain residents and visitors, being the largest shopping destination and one of the most popular for entertainment,” said Saleh.

“The number of homes in Al Ain is projected to grow from 86,800 to over 202,000 by 2030. The city therefore holds huge potential for retailers, franchisers and investors,” he said.

According to Plan Al Ain 2030, increasing population and booming tourism will lead to growing demand for retail space. Al Ain’s ratio of retail square meters per resident is comparatively quite high and will remain so, said the survey.

“Retail is a big employment generator in the city. More than 400 retail outlets serve the Al Ain community within Bawadi Mall itself, providing jobs for thousands of employees. With the rapidly increasing growth of the city, we expect more leasable area to be operational in the near future,” added Saleh.

Bawadi Mall is one of the key drivers of the retail and shopping industries in Al Ain City.

The mall saw a footfall of over 10 million million visitors last year alone, a number projected to increase dramatically this year. - TradeArabia News Service