Majid Al Futtaim opens its first shopping mall in Abu Dhabi

Dubai-based leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure developer, Majid Al Futtaim, opened its first shopping mall in Abu Dhabi and its 25^th in the region. My City Centre Masdar, touted as Abu Dhabi’s most sustainable retail destination, is a flagship mixed-used development with sustainability at its core.

“My City Centre Masdar’s opening marks a key milestone for Majid Al Futtaim as its 25^th shopping mall in the region and its first mall in the UAE’s capital. The mall is expected to be one of the region’s most sustainable malls through the efficient use of resources, including energy and water management. The mall also underlines Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to an enhanced living environment, and driven by the UAE’s long-term sustainability goals,” says Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim – Properties.

The 75,000 sqft Carrefour hypermarket at My City Centre Masdar is also the brand’s 100^th store in the UAE. It features eco-friendly sourced wood and a range of locally-grown produce. It is also committed to reduce single-use plastic bag usage, and is the first hypermarket in the UAE not to offer them at the cash counters.

“It is an honour for Masdar City to be the home of Abu Dhabi’s most sustainable shopping mall,” says Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar. “I’d like to congratulate Majid Al Futtaim and all the teams involved in realising this landmark project. It reiterates the status of Masdar City as a location for leading businesses and international brands, and of the commercial appeal of low-carbon urban development.”

“Of course, Masdar City is not only a benchmark for sustainable urban development. It is also a thriving community made up of thousands of residents, students, researchers, entrepreneurs and business people. It is also supported by the Free Zone, which provides unique business support services and regulations,” adds Al Ramahi,

“We started this journey almost 25 years ago with our first Carrefour hypermarket. It set the standard of everyday grocery shopping in the UAE,” says Hani Weiss, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim – Retail. “Over the years, we have continued to redefine this experience for our customers. It is culminating in a comprehensive omnichannel offering and pioneering environmental credentials – like our Masdar store – that is core to our investment strategy.”

Majid Al Futtaim Retail operates more than 270 Carrefour outlets in 15 countries across 37 markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

As Abu Dhabi’s newest retail and dining destination, My City Centre Masdar features more than 70 stores across nearly 200,000 sqft of gross leasable area (GLA), including Redtag, Carrefour, Life Pharmacy, Al Jaber Optical, Zaatar w Zeit, Kababji and Cinnabon, to name a few.

The mall’s 600 car-parking bays are shaded by roofing housing photovoltaic cells, generating electricity equivalent to one-fifth of the mall’s annual energy usage. Six percent of parking has been set aside for electric, hybrid or carshare vehicles, and half of these spaces equipped with charging points. The mall plans to recycle at least 80% of its operational waste. Sustainability-focused features include energy-efficient escalators and lifts and the exclusive use of LED lighting during the essential elements of construction and inside shop interiors.