Yas Mall celebrated its first year anniversary on November 19. It was the first super regional mall to open in Abu Dhabi as a serious competitor to the big boys up the road in Dubai – Mall of the Emirates and The Dubai Mall. As soon as it opened, Aldar, its developer, became the biggest owner and operator of retail space in the capital.
Built on Yas Island, it has more than 370 stores and 60 food and beverage outlets, with more than 10,000 covered car parking slots. The mall is a destination that could be said to be ahead of its time, as some of the developments on Yas Island have been slow in fulfilment. This has in turn slowed the footfall in the retail space.
Yas Mall is at the heart of the entertainment offering on Yas Island, close to the Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Links and Yas Viceroy, so it is doubtful you will ever forget where you are. It has a 20-screen cinema, kids’ edutainment zones and a great esplanade of F&B offerings on the “Cascade” – an outdoor decked area overlooking a terrace of fountains and a direct tunnel link to Ferrari World.
Tracking footfall
Yas Mall is fully leased, according to Aldar. It has recently added some unique attractions with the Chaloub Group, one of the region’s biggest retailing operations, at the start of November, opening a new concept – Tryano.
A multi-level 200,000 square foot department store, it may look more like an Ibiza nightclub with brilliant white walls and flooring and chrome finishing, but it stocks some of the biggest brands in the world, from Louboutin to Mulberry, along with a French restaurant .
Tryano sits well in the beautifully outfitted concourses and thoroughfares of the mall.
Yas Mall has spared little expense, with low leather couches sprinkled throughout for weary shoppers to ease their aching feet. The jazz music played throughout the mall adds that touch of enigmatic class that competitors can only aspire to. “Thursday night and Friday are very busy, but it is a quiet place to work generally. The weeks are long working here,” said a kiosk sales assistant.
An analyst’s view
Matthew Green, the head of research and consultancy at the property consultant CBRE, believes all malls need time to gain traction, and Yas will become the mall it aspires to be as Abu Dhabi develops.
“It is a destination mall without all the infrastructure, presently,” he says. “Dubai Mall took two years to gain any real footfall, and that was sitting at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa. Local shoppers have to understand a mall, where to shop and where to park, before they use it regularly, and as for tourists, when the Midfield Terminal Complex at the airport is completed and more visitors come through the capital, Yas Mall will feel the benefit.”
The outlook
Yas Island and the neighbouring of Al Reef are still to be fully developed as residential neighbourhoods, which has inhibited the traffic at Yas Mall. Aldar has recently announced another 1,000 villas at West Yas and a new apartment development called Mayan, so the momentum is slowly growing, which will help the mall’s ambience. The mall itself is a bright, modern retail palace that could grace any capital. However, with many smaller malls between it and the main population on the island, the draw for bringing people over the bridges is tough.
Any hidden gems?
What could remain hidden in a bright, airy mall only opened 53 weeks ago? Just like many things, you can find them when you are not looking. If you enjoy football and eating, then I’ve found the perfect spot for you. Hidden on the second floor of the Champions League Experience store is a 100-seat terraced restaurant that faces a 200 inch screen – it’s called Stadium for good reason. The eatery only stays open for showing big football games if there has been a booking for a minimum of 10 people. For the recent Real Madrid vs Barcelona game there wasn’t a spare seat in the house.
In conclusion
Yas Mall is the right mall at not quite the right time. But things will likely change. One is happy to window shop, but the lack of other customers made me feel slightly self conscious. It’s definitely worth a visit and if I lived in the capital it would become my mall of choice for the masses of parking, hassle-free shopping and the number of F&B outlets on offer.
ascott@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
The five pillars of Islam
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
'Nope'
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