Beirut City Centre sees record footfall
Beirut, April 23, 2013
UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim Properties (MAF), a leading developer, owner and operator of shopping malls and complementary mixed-use projects in the Mena region, said its new flagship mall in Beirut has welcomed over 400,000 visitors in its first two weeks of operation.
Beirut City Centre, the 60,000 sqm shopping and entertainment destination which opened its doors to the Lebanese community on April 4, is MAF’s first mall to open in the Levant region, and its twelfth in Mena.
Commenting on the record footfall, Peter Walichnowski, the CEO of MAF Properties said, “Beirut City Centre demonstrates our commitment to investing in the long-term future of Lebanon. It also illustrates the success of our solid expansion plans across the region through which we aim to double our shopping mall portfolio by 2020."
"We have a number of additional exciting developments in Lebanon and Egypt, and we continue to scout for opportunities in other regional cities," he noted.
According to him, MAF Properties is committed to the social and economic development of the countries in which it operates.
In Lebanon, Beirut City Centre represents an investment of $350 million, and is part of a wider $2 billion investment plan for the country over the next 7 to 10 years. In addition to more than 2,500 jobs generated by Beirut City Centre during the construction phase, the mall now supports more than 1,200 permanent job opportunities.
Walichnowski said MAF Properties’ presence has also enriched the Lebanese retail market with 40 new brands entering the local market for the first time through Beirut City Centre.
The flagship mall features over 200 specialty stores in total including the first Marks & Spencer store along with the largest H&M and the newest Centrepoint, among many more brands. It includes over 40 international restaurants and cafés, a food court with 16 diners and an open-air rooftop terrace with 12 destination restaurants.
To mark the opening, Beirut City Centre had hosted a 10-day extravaganza of entertainment to welcome visitors, including a host of international musical performers and dancers, and topped off with an amazing vertical fashion show.-TradeArabia News Service
