UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall and leisure pioneer in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, has announced plans to revamp its key retail destination, City Centre Sharjah, adding 13,700 sq m of retail space and a 12-screen cinemas, at an investment of Dh260 million ($71 million).

The work will be completed in the last quarter of 2017, with the plan set to create hundreds of jobs, said the company in a statement.

The announcement comes as part of its Dh30 billion ($8.16 billion) investment plan in the UAE by 2026 to develop retail destinations, said the company.

While increasing the mall’s fashion and lifestyle brands by 25 new storefronts, boosting the total number of retailers to 150 and adding 13,700 sq m of retail space, City Centre Sharjah’s expansion will also include a 12-screen Vox Cinemas with the latest cinematic technologies, a City Centre Clinic for the healthcare needs of the surrounding communities, and four new dining options. It will also create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.

The move comes as a result of the company’s analysis into the changing needs of both residents and tourists in the UAE’s third-largest emirate, said a top official.  

"Underscoring Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to create great moments for everyone, everyday, our Dh260 million ($71 million) investment in expanding and repositioning," remarked Ghaith Shocair, the chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim (Properties)..

"City Centre Sharjah will complement the company’s new super-regional mall being developed in Al Zahia as well as the expansion of City Centre Ajman – reflecting the growth opportunities that we see in the Northern Emirates throughout the next decade,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service