Nothing succeeds like excess: Dubai plans world’s largest mall

Just when it seemed that the era of jaw-dropping Dubai mega projects was over, the emirate has announced plans for the world’s largest retail space: a vast high-tech mall covering an area of 74ha, the equivalent of 100 football pitches.

The $2bn “Dubai Square” is earmarked for Dubai Creek Harbour and will be more than twice the size of Dubai Mall. It will also be home to the Middle East’s largest Chinatown. The developer is Emaar Properties, which told CNN that the mall would “push the boundaries of modern retail and leisure by drawing on next-generation technology”.

The high-tech features will include a virtual reality park on the ground floor, smart fitting rooms with interactive mirrors, AI-assistants who can make personalised recommendations, and 3D printed clothes. Shoppers will also be able to avoid the check-out queue by buying goods on their mobile phones using special apps, or by barcode-scanning applications and radio-frequency identification tags.  

As well as the shops, there will be a four-lane boulevard lined with cafes and restaurants and other attractions, such as an “Ice Adventure” park.