The District Mall in Abu Dhabi by TDIC and LVMH

Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) who have decided to hire the expertise of the famed luxury brand, Louis Vuitton to build a 168,000 square metre luxury mall on Saadiyat Island connecting to Abu Dhabi’s three planned mega museums. The developer, TDIC, announced that it had formed a joint venture with L Real Estate, a private equity fund in which the Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is a minority investor. The mall, christened “The District” mall is touted to become one of the biggest malls in UAE and would form a triangle between the three museums. The mall is expected to house more than 550 stores, many of which would be outdoors. The retail destination would be home to all types of stores from luxury and fashion brands, department stores, home furnishing chains to art galleries and family entertainment venues. The three-storey mall would be classified into four zones. Three of the four – Luxury Street, Canal and Main Street zones – would be located outdoors on two levels. Luxury Street is expected to boast of elite fashion stores while Canal would include cafes and restaurants next to a canal opposite the Guggenheim. The Main Street zone would include stores and outdoor cafes. L Real Estate which specialises in luxury shopping will collaborate with TDIC to develop the mall on a 17-hectare plot of land in the new cultural district. The construction for the mall is expected to begin in 2014 and it is expected to be completed by 2017 to coincide with the opening of the Abu Dhabi Guggenheim Museum.

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