The Northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah offers many natural attractions to the residents, tourists and inter-emirate visitors. In the recent past, the emirate has also witnessed the emergence of several luxury hotel resorts and shopping malls complementing its rising popularity as a tourist destination.
Over the next couple of months, the emirate is set see the opening of Grove Village, a boutique lifestyle mall positioned as a community destination, not only for people living in Ras Al Khaimah, but also a growing number of tourists and visitors from other emirates who come to soak in the serene beauty of the emirate.
Located in the heart of the emirate, in Al Qawasim Corniche area, Grove Village overlooks the creek and the mountains with easy accessibility. The project, promoted by Master Investment Group, benefits from the proximity to historical and cultural attractions, with the excellent support of options of 4-star and-5-star hotels.
Captivating backdrop
Some of the other destinations include the Tower Links Golf Club and RAK Water Ski Club, located within 2-5km distance. Besides infusing a breath of fresh air, Grove Village combines a plethora of spirited vibes, encompassing outdoor terrace viewing, overlooking the lush green mangroves of Ras Al Khaimah. The captivating backdrop of Jebel Jais Mountains and the delightful sites of the pink flamingos that home within the mangroves are set to make the shoppers’ journey memorable.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed Al Qassimi, managing director of Master Investment Group, says, “Many of the tourists who come to Ras al Khaimah tend to stay in the resorts alongside the beach. However, when we decided to launch the Grove Village project, we visualised it as a new aspirational lifestyle destination which offers a variety of dining, services and entertainment options.”
As a community centre, Grove Village brings the retail to an urban style in the heart of the beautiful emirate as a shopping and F&B destination. “I believe the future of the malls in the country are the community centres, not only to serve surrounding communities with the accessible and convenient location but also to attract the tourist and visitors with many brands new to Ras al Khaimah,” adds Sheikh Abdullah.
Key anchors
The two-level shopping centre, with a gross leasable area of 56,000 sqft will host Organic Foods as its anchor store – the first organic supermarket in Ras al Khaimah. The mall also hosts the first drive through of Starbucks in Ras Al Khaimah, along with Japanese bakery Yamanote Atelier, Cupagahwa, a local Arabian flavour cafe and Sugar Beauty, a full-service boutique nail and beauty lounge.
One of the critical aspects of this project is the ambience created within the development and the opportunity to explore the culture of Ras Al Khaimah. The project will also host children’s entertainment activities and a variety of exciting events throughout the year.
A touch of New Zealand
The story behind the mall’s design and development dates back to a couple of years when one of the founders of Master Investment Group travelled to New Zealand where he had the chance to visit the Re:start temporary shopping mall in Christchurch. The idea to build a similar mall in Ras Al Khaimah with an urban, industrial look and feel using containers originated there.
RAK Corniche, Ras Al Khaimah’s most desirable neighbourhood, is set to become the prime hotspot destination in RAK City, with upcoming hotel destinations, in a catchment area of local schools, universities, colleges and government buildings. Grove Village community mall is set to bring a new horizon to the shorelines of RAK.
The mall housed adjacent to the oldest hotel in RAK ‘Ras Al Khaimah Hotel’, enjoys a sizeable catchment area which is expected to generate high footfall, given its prime location at the entrance of Ras al Khaimah Corniche, overlooking the creek and the mountains, surrounded by about 85,000 people living within the 6-km radius.