That Dubai has become an important regional shopping destination, there is no doubt. The number of shopping malls and the mind-boggling retail, entertainment, and lifestyle options they offer are hard to beat. The government of Dubai cooperates with the retail sector to promote shopping events throughout the year to keep shoppers coming. Shopping has succeeded in serving as a catalyst for economic growth in Dubai.

The large malls found around the city not only offer patrons some of the most exciting shopping experiences of their life, they also offer a glimpse into a different world where almost everything anyone could desire is on offer there. Each mall competes to be the biggest and the best. The largest of them all currently offers 12.1 million sq ft of space. Hundreds of retail outlets selling the latest international brands was the thing until a really large mall upped the level to thousands of retail outlets.

Other mall essentials include luxurious interiors, a host of onsite entertainment, personal shopping services, pampering spa treatments, banks, 5 star hotels, services centres, child minding nurseries, supermarkets, a range of dining options and even clinics among still more facilities that make them a one-stop destination with many creative ploys to increase footfalls. Some malls have gone so far as to have aquaria, Olympic-size skating rinks, ski slopes, IMAX theaters, 21 screen cinemas, Dubai’s largest performing fountain and community theaters as part of the facility. All these attractions definitely keep the crowds coming as shown by visitor figures averaging over 54 million a year in one of the larger and more diverse malls, making this facility the world’s most visited shopping destination.

Another side of the mall experience is that since the weather in Dubai for most of the year is too hot outside, malls are places where people meet to socialize, see a movie, go bowling, hang out with family and friends, go to the spa or spend a fun day visiting the aquarium, skiing or skating or indulging in other fun activities. Dubai’s malls are also great for people watching. One writer has suggested the Dubai mall is the equivalent of a town square, which used to be the centre of social life. However, this may be a little farfetched as the townspeople are generally outnumbered by visitors in Dubai malls.

With a slew of hotels around prominent cities in the Middle East, the Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East offer patrons in the region accommodation to suit a range of budgets and preferences. The Middle East hotels of the group range from five-star deluxe city centre properties to beach resorts and three-star business hotels. The UAE hotels of the Millennium & Copthorne Group serve a wide clientele and offer the best possible options in accommodation and services in the region.

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

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