Dubai Square Mall to Boost Occupancy at Dubai Creek Harbour

Dubai Square Mall, a premium retail destination, is set to become the largest retail destination in the world. The 2.6 million sq. m. retail monument is expected to double the size of Dubai Mall.The mega retail project is scheduled to open in about three years at Dubai Creek Harbour, within a 11 million sq. m master plan valued at AED 180 billion, according to the developer.

The CEO and founder of Sunrise Capital Dubai, Yogesh Bulchandani, states that the arrival of Dubai Square Mall will rebalance the gravity between the many existing popular retail destinations, such as Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates. This means that the areas surrounding the new mall will experience a massive surge in population as well.

To expand on his statements, Bulchandani pressed on how investments, retail, and tourism flows have historically clustered around Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Dubai, and now with Dubai Square Mall, Dubai Creek Harbour and its surroundings neighborhoods will also experience a similar growth in these aspects, boosting Dubai’s overall real estate status.

Presently, Dubai Mall stands as the world’s most visited shopping district. With over 100 million visitors in 2025, the Dubai Mall is the ideal example of how malls are a major component of Dubai’s tourism strategy. Malls in Dubai witness daily visits from tourists who heavily engage with retail outlets during their visits.

Interestingly, Balchandani argues that Dubai Square Mall will not be competing for the same single day visitor, but will rather aim to influence visitors into extending their stay. In detail, he explains:

“Tourists can now plan multi-day retail and entertainment itineraries that move from Downtown to Sheikh Zayed Road to Creek Harbour, increasing total spend in the emirate rather than fragmenting it. That multi-nodal experience is exactly what underpins Dubai’s ambition to be among the world’s top three cities for tourism, business, and quality of life.”

Dubai Square Mall’s Unique Appeal

The high appeal of the new Dubai Square Mall, a destination aiming to claim the title of the largest retail destination in the world, has a lot to do with the structure featuring breakthrough technologies and innovative concepts in dining, entertainment, and retail. It will also offer direct connectivity to Dubai Creek Tower, another mega skyscraper being built by Emaar.

The Founder and Chairman of Tomorrow World Properties, Xu Ma said that the mall will be more than a retail addition. He says that at its scale, it can reshape visitor flows, strengthen Dubai Creek Harbour as a full destination, and create a new centre of gravity for shopping, dining, entertainment, and tourism beyond the traditional hubs.

One of the project’s exciting features is the world’s first drive-through concept, allowing vehicle access to select retail areas and integration with electric vehicle infrastructure. Bulchandani sheds light on this factor stating that the mall’s next-generation entertainment, hospitality and embedded mobility concept reinforces Dubai’s positioning as a 24/7 tourism, retail, and Dubai retail investment hub for the region.

Mall Economies Critical Support for Tourism

Urban planners and economists point to the critical role of ‘mall economies’ in supporting tourism and broader city economics. Recent data from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) draws a correlation between retail destinations and visitor spending, proved by a large majority of international visitors stopping at Dubai Mall, which is often discussed alongside future mega-projects like Dubai Square Mall

Ma explains that in the first five years, the immediate contribution is economic activity, jobs, and a wider tourism is truly distinctive. Large destination assets also generate secondary impact through business inflows, hospitality demand, events, and supply chains tied to increased visitation. He also asserted that the contribution extends beyond confidence and momentum.

Additionally, he says “When a mega anchor is delivered inside a master community, it typically accelerates residential interest, supports higher quality mixed-use development, and attracts global operators who may not enter a market unless the platform is big enough.”

Scaling Risks Dubai Square Mall Should Watch Out For

Mega mall projects come with their own set of unique scaling risks and one of the biggest comes in the aspect of transport infrastructure and broader urban context. Ma mentions how scaling becomes a risk when the customer journey is not effortless. If access, circulation, parking, wayfinding, and the comfort of moving through the space are not world-class, then size can become overwhelming rather than exciting, especially when the ambition is to rival the largest mall in the world

Bulchandani adds to the conversation saying that scale becomes a risk when it runs ahead of genuine demand and clear differentiation, potentially leading to cannibalisation between assets, weaker trading densities and downward pressure on rentals. In other words, big for the sake of big is not a strategy, he concludes.

Thus, experts recommend several safeguards including strong transport connectivity, clear positioning, and a curated mix of F&B, entertainment, and retail options. Lastly, Bulchandani says that when a project is embedded in an integrated master plan, with residential, office, hospitality, and public realm all feeding into it, scale becomes an ecosystem advantage rather than a standalone risk.

Meanwhile, existing retail investors are actively driving wider economic growth. Current market activity points to retailers and property owners supporting the need for investment across Dubai’s established malls. For instance, Majid Al Futtaim is investing AED 5 billion on expansion and upgrades to maintain its position in the city’s retail network.

Dubai Square Mall Long-Term Strategy

Bulchandani draws attention to Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Business Bay all exemplar examples of Dubai successfully managing evolving mega projects. He expects the same for Dubai Creek Harbour, which is already emerging as one of the city’s fastest-growing submarkets. With Dubai Square Mall on the way, the district transformation is inevitable.

What prepares the area for this impressive shift are factors such as the upcoming expanded metro connectivity, waterfront living options, and much more. Dubai Square is more likely to bring new demand pools to the district, including global brands, new residents, and regional tourists, all shifting value from existing hubs

In Bulchandani’s view, the mall will support a more multi-centric Dubai, where different districts serve different segments and purposes, over a zero-sum game between them. Looking ahead, experts point to further development of adjacent plots for branded residences, hotels, and Grade A offices along with a renewed investment in upgrading surrounding stock.

Bulchandani confirms that Dubai Square is advancing as part of a long trajectory of integrated urban development in Dubai that aligns major tourism, real estate investments, and retail with broader strategies to strengthen non-oil economic sectors and boost global visitor appeal. Bulchandani adds:

“For investors, this supports a more diversified, multi-nodal Dubai. Portfolios can be spread across Downtown, Marina, JLT, Creek Harbour and emerging corridors, each with distinct tenant bases, yield profiles and cycles. That diversification is healthy for both investors and the city’s long-term economic resilience.”

Finally, Ma concludes that for Dubai Square, the development aims to deliver a balanced destination that works for families, residents, tourists, and weekday life. Furthermore, if the development integrates smoothly with the Creek Harbour ecosystem, it can become a powerful contributor to Dubai’s next chapter of urban growth.

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