Abu Dhabi Reveals Latest Super-Mall: But Are There Other Reasons to Visit?
Love Shopping? Love travel? Have a big wedge of money burning a hole in your pocket? Then Abu Dhabi's newest shopping centre could well be of interest.
Spread over 235,000 square metres, the Yas Mall will boast 400 shops along with a 20-screen cinema and parking for 10,000 cars.
Together with international brands like Nike, H&M and Zara, visitors to the complex will also find classic British emporiums such as House of Fraser and Hamleys toy shop.
And if you get bored of perusing the latest in high fashion, perfumes and electronics, you can always stroll over to the adjacent Ferrari World – a high-octane theme park based on the much-adored Italian sports car brand. Here you can board a roller coaster and reach 149mph in just 4.9 seconds – giving you the same G-force as a Ferrari F1 racer.
Both the Yas Mall and Ferrari World are located on Yas Island – where water isn't only found lapping its well-kept coast; here you'll find one of the planet's biggest water parks, too.
More Than Just Shopping?
These are just the latest in a string of developments inside the seven emirates comprising the UAE, of which Abu Dhabi is the most populous.
Indeed, the developers behind Yas Mall don't plan to stop growing yet; the second phase of the mall is currently being planned, as Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO of Aldar Properties told CNN recently:
"We couldn't fit all the retailers we wanted to be here, so we're already starting to plan phase two," he said.
"Abu Dhabi is a growing city. It's growing in its developments, it's growing in its demographics. And we are catering our retail for each aspect."
But even after further development, Yas Mall is still likely to be dwarfed by Dubai Mall – a short distance north east in sprawling Dubai – which boasts an astonishing area of 502,000 square metres, making it the largest shopping mall on Earth by that measure.
Visitor Numbers Rise
Shopping is at the centre of the UAE's ambitions to attract ever more overseas tourists, but cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai also offer world class zoos, museums, beaches and sports venues.
And the strategy of constructing ever more attractions and shopping venues is paying off. In 2012 Dubai received 10m international visitors, but by 2015 it is thought this figure will rise to some 15m.
If you're considering a shopping holiday in the UAE soon, don't forget that if something goes wrong you could face a hefty bill. For instance, only locals get free medical care.
Protect Yourself and Your Family
As advised by the FCO, it's best to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy before you go to the UAE. As well as up to £10m of medical cover (depending on the protection level you select), at starttravel.co.uk you'll also be covered for cancellation and curtailment, legal expenses and numerous other unwanted events.