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17 Mar 2013

Investment of AED 147m supports the presence of twenty-nine brands at Dubai's newest mall.

M.H. Alshaya, one of the Middle East's leading retailers, welcomed the opening of Mirdif City Centre and celebrated the successful arrival of 29 brands to Dubai's newest mall.

This large scale opening reflects the company's confidence in Dubai's retail sector and the appeal that its international brand portfolio has for consumers in the region.

As part of the celebrations, Alshaya's Executive Chairman, Mohammed Alshaya, hosted VIP ribbon-cutting ceremonies which were honoured by the presence of H.E. Mr Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director General of Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai and Mr Richard Olson, the US Ambassador to the UAE. They were joined by Mr Chris Fiore, Vice President of American Eagle International, Sandra Stangl, President of Pottery Barn and Janet Hayes, President of Pottery Barn Kids, to welcome three iconic US brands new to the Middle East.

The opening of Mirdif City Centre represents an important new showcase for Alshaya's portfolio and was built on an investment of approximately 147m AED ($US 40m) across people, property, infrastructure and marketing. To support the opening Alshaya has recruited and trained 700 people to manage and staff the different stores, which occupy a total space of 15,000 square metres (160,000 square feet), within the mall.

Commenting on Alshaya's presence at Mirdif City Centre, Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of M. H. Alshaya said: "Alshaya is focused on bringing innovative concepts and ideas to customers in the Middle East through our partnerships with leading international brands. Our investment in Mirdif City Centre symbolises that approach, bringing together twenty-nine brands under one roof, including three new brands that we know will appeal greatly to Dubai's consumers. Mirdif City Centre underlines Dubai's position as the pre-eminent shopping destination in the Middle East. We are delighted to be part of it and congratulate Majid Al Futtaim Group for their vision in developing this exciting new mall. We have worked closely together with them for many years and are extremely proud to continue that collaboration."

In developing its plans for Mirdif, Alshaya focused on creating the right store mix for mall visitors. The result is a combination of customer favourites such as Debenhams, Mothercare, Topshop, Next, H&M, Starbucks and Boots together with one brand new to the UAE: Office Depot. The store mix also includes three new brands that have chosen the Middle East for their first expansion out of North America: fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters, and home furnishing brands Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids.

The successful launch of the Pottery Barn franchises also marks Alshaya's move into a new retail sector - Home Furnishings - complementing its existing offers across Fashion & Footwear, Health & Beauty, Optics, Pharmaceuticals, Casual Dining, and Office Supplies.