Dubai Mall, Shopping center in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai Mall is a shopping center in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, next to the Burj Khalifa, with over 1,200 shops and 120 restaurants and cafes. Its exterior has a curved glass and white-panel corner and a tan wall with a tall vertical sign; inside, a white undulating grid sculpture hangs in the atrium beneath a vaulted ceiling of repeated white ribs crossed by a dark diagonal line.
The complex opened in November 2008 as the centerpiece of Downtown Dubai, a planned urban development by Emaar Properties Group. Its opening came during the global financial crisis, which slowed the property boom in the Emirates.
The mall's name was shortened from "The Dubai Mall" to "Dubai Mall" in January 2023. Its Gold Souk holds 220 shops, described as the largest of its kind. A children's train runs about 3 km on the second level, and the Grand Atrium displays a replica of the under-construction Dubai Creek Tower.
The connection to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro station runs through an air-conditioned pedestrian system that shields you from the heat. It helps to arrive early on weekends, when the corridors become especially crowded.
Inside you can skate on an Olympic-sized ice rink wearing short sleeves while temperatures outside reach over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The aquarium displays 300 marine species behind the largest single acrylic panel in the world, where sharks swim in circles.
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