World’s largest shopping mall has 1200 shops, zoo, aquarium, monthly rent is Rs…, located in…, not US, China, Singapore, India, UK, Europe, Japan, country is…

The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping mall, is not just any other regular shopping center, its an experience in itself, as many visitors have described it.

Written by: Gazi Abbas Shahid

Published: April 5, 2025, 9:23 PM IST

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The Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world. (File)

Dubai Mall: The Jio World Plaza in Mumbai, which is owned by Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is the largest shopping mall in India. But have you ever wondered which country boasts the world’s largest shopping mall? The distinction is held by the The Dubai Mall, an expansive shopping center in the heart of Dubai– the shopping capital of the world– which houses more than 1200 stores, restaurants, and even an underwater zoo and aquarium.

World’s largest shopping mall

Spread over an expansive 13 million square feet, more than the length of over 50 football pitches, the Dubai Mall, which opened for business on November 4, 2008, is one of the most-visited buildings globally, attracting more than 54 million visitors each year on average, and received a record 105 million visitors in 2023, up 19 percent from the previous year which recorded 88 million visitors.

Boasting a massive floor area of 5.9 million square feet, and leasable space of 3.77 million square feet, the Dubai Mall houses over 1200 shops, and was developed by Emaar Properties, a prominent Dubai-based real estate firm, which also built the iconic Burj Khalifa in the Gulf kingdom.

Located adjacent to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall is part of the lavish 20-billion-dollar downtown complex, known as Downtown Dubai.

Inside The Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall is not just any other regular shopping center, its an experience in itself, as many visitors have described it. The gigantic mall boasts, 120 restaurants and cafes, and 3 car parks, with over 14,000 parking spaces, along with valet services and a car locator ticketing system.

The mall also has 22 cinema screens, and an Olympic-sized ice rink for recreational skating and Emirates Ice Hockey League games.

It also features the Emirates A380 Experience, an Airbus A380 aircraft simulator, where visitors can experience flying aboard the Emirates’ luxury airbus as pilot or passengers.

Check out the main attractions at The Dubai Mall:

1. Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo: Designed by Peddle Thorp, the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo by Emaar Entertainment is arguably the main attraction inside the Dubai Mall, and showcases more than 300 species of marine animals, including sharks and rays. The aquarium was awarded the ‘Certificate of Excellence’ and won the ‘Images Most Admired Retailer of the Year – Leisure & Entertainment’ at Images RetailME Awards 2012.
2. KidZania theme park: An interactive edutainment theme park for young kids, KidZania offers over real-life activities for children aged 4–16. The 7,000 square meter replica of Dubai city, the theme park engages children to learn about various real-life jobs via role-play.
3. Play DXB VR Park: Formerly known as VR Park Dubai, 76,000-square-foot Play DXB is an indoor virtual reality attraction, featuring 15 rides and amusement games, including motion simulators, classic carnival games, skill games, and redemption games. The indoor park is based around VR and arcade games for older kids, while younger children can play on the inflatable playground and trampolines inside the park.
4. Hysteria haunted house: Another attraction geared towards kids and young adults is the Hysteria, a haunted house featuring special effects, fog lights, and strobe lights.
5. Reel Cinemas: A 22-screen cinema megaplex, Reel Cinemas has four our cinema suites and 17 commercial halls, including the first THX-certified theatre in Dubai.
6. Dubai Dino: An actual fossil of Diplodocus, the ‘Dubai Dino’, measures a well over 23 feet in height, and more than 79 feet in length.
7. Dubai Fountain: Located outside the lavish mall, near the Burj Khalifa, is the Dubai Fountain, one of the largest choreographed fountain systems in the world, featuring 25 color projectors and 1,000 water expressions, known for its mesmerizing water shows that are synchronized with music and lights. The Dubai Fountain has 6,600 lights and water jets which activate in sync with the music.
8. Dubai Creek Tower Replica: The Grand Atrium inside the The Dubai Mall houses an exact replica of the under-construction Dubai Creek Tower, and also provides a 3D rendition of the tower’s architecture when its completed.

Dubai Mall rent

According to various reports, annual rent in the Dubai Mall can range between AED 1,000 (around Rs 23000) to AED 5,000 (Rs 116430), per square foot, with smaller kiosks being charged between 1,000 to AED 3,000 per square foot, mid-sized shops AED 2,000 to AED 4,000, while large stores such as brand outlets shelling out AED 4,000 to AED 5,000.