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Dubai Festival City, the 1,600-acre waterfront 'city-within-a-city' project being constructed on the banks of Dubai's Creek, is doubling its presence on its return to Mapic - the event for retail real estate professionals being held in Cannes from November 17 to 19. After attending last year as a delegate, Dubai Festival City will again be exhibiting at this year's show and will take a six-strong team to debut layouts for Dubai Festival City's 1.9 million square foot retail destination - Festival Centre. Dubai Festival City is also doubling its exhibition stand size to 48 square metres, due to the heightened interest shown last year.
In 2002, Dubai Festival City used Mapic for its international masterplan launch and at this year's event the development will unveil a new artist's rendering showing all the project communities. "Mapic was the perfect arena to launch the Dubai Festival City masterplan in 2002, as the main driver for the development is its retail component," said Phil McArthur, director of leasing and marketing for Dubai Festival City. "In 2003, we took the opportunity to renew discussions with numerous international brands we had started at Mapic the previous year to keep them updated on progress." "This year we have floor-plans for the major elements of Festival Centre to share with Mapic visitors and exhibitors and will be looking to finalise negotiations with prospective tenants." Festival Centre will house over 450 shops and services and more than 100 restaurants and cafes featuring some of the best brands from around the globe. The Festival Centre, with 1.9 million square feet in retail GLA and over 10,000 parking spaces, is at the forefront of Dubai's super-retail projects. "Already, the substructure framework construction is rising from the ground and the first phase, which will house retail outlets offering household and convenience goods, including the UAE's flagship Ikea store, is set for completion towards the end of 2005," McArthur said. "The second phase of Festival Centre development, a 1.2 million square foot waterfront retail, entertainment and hospitality centre will open in Sep-tember 2006." The Festival Centre will also link to the InterContinental Dubai Festival City a 450-room hotel comprising 80 executive apartments and 370 rooms which will be ready for guests in early 2007. "Next year marks the beginning of the operation life for a number of Dubai Festival City facilities including retail, hospitality, dining, golf and leisure elements," McArthur aded. "Dubai is establishing an international reputation for its dynamic progression, and developments like Dubai Festival City can only enhance its standing on the global stage."
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