Dubai’s Mall of the World to stretch seven kilometres

Plans for a glass covered, climate-controlled street stretching for seven kilometres in Dubai have been announced. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, announced that the Mall of the World will be located along Sheikh Zayed Road.

The project’s 48 million square feet will be covered in a glass dome that will be open during the winter months when temperatures are above 30 degrees C, and closed in summer when temperatures reach 49 degrees C.

The mall will incorporate an indoor theme park, and a shopping mall of 8 million square feet. There will be a “wellness” dedicated zone for “medical tourists” and  20,000 hotel rooms. It is expected to host 180 million visitors annually.

Sheikh Mohammed said, “The growth in family and retail tourism underpins the need to enhance Dubai’s tourism infrastructure as soon as possible…. Our ambitions are higher than having seasonal tourism. Tourism is a key driver of our economy and we aim to make U.A.E. an attractive destination all year long. This is why we will start working on providing pleasant temperature-controlled environments during the summer months. We are confident of our economy’s strength, optimistic about our country’s future and we continue to broaden our vision.”

He says that tourists will be able to enjoy a week-long stay without the need to leave the city or use a car.

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has a population of around 2 million, most of whom are foreign workers. It already has the Dubai Mall, with 1,200 stores.