The massive Meydan One mega mall complex in Dubai, which is due to include the longest indoor ski run yet, is reported to still be on track for its originally announced 2020 opening date.
It’s unusual for projects of this scale to be completed on time, but developers Meydan, say that is the case and construction images do show progress well underway. The company says construction is now more than 60% complete.
When it was announced in August 2015 the project grabbed world headlines with the news that it would include a 1.2km long indoor snow slope – nearly double the length of the world’s current longest slopes of 620 and 640 metres long in France and Germany.
Although no official change to this length stat has been announced subsequently, there are rumours the slope has been reduced to 1km or 750 metres. Even if this is true however, it would still be the world’s longest by some distance.
The world’s longest indoor ski slope is just part of the development however. Meydan One will also include the world’s tallest residential tower at more than 700 metres high, an 8.2 square kilometre lagoon featuring 500m of beach front, a civic plaza able to host 30,000 people, and dancing fountains that fire water 380m into the air.
When finished, the mall will host 580 retail outlets split between 30 anchor stores, 80 flagship luxury stores, 190 dining outlets and a 13,200sqm hypermarket. There will also be a 21-screen cinema, a 20-outlet food court, hotels, hotel apartments, two hospitality towers, one commercial tower and a medical centre. The development is at the heart of a wider residential development designed to house 83,000 residents.
“Meydan One has been envisioned as a ‘place for everyone’, which means it seeks to accommodate varied needs and expectations,” Meydan Malls vice president Fahad Kazim told Gulf Business, “We are doing this through collaborating with the community to create a highly-integrated multifunctional hub for all nationalities and segments of the population. In addition, we are aiming to ensure that the space has a significant layer of digitisation to allow us to connect with consumer needs in a wholly unique way.”
