Meydan One, a pioneering, next-generation lifestyle and retail destination, which is currently under development as part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City in Dubai, has announced that the project is on track for its launch in early 2020 with 60 per cent of structural work already completed.

The Meydan One project is Dubai’s latest centrepiece development aimed at enhancing the emirate’s mall landscape through a wholly reimagined approach that combines retail, hospitality, entertainment and leisure experiences.

Strategically located at a 20-minute drive from the Dubai International Airport, Meydan One is a sprawling, next-generation destination that offers immersive lifestyle experiences, world-class design, entrepreneurship and technologies, reaffirming Dubai’s vision to become the preferred global hub for tourism and shopping.

Meydan One will integrate indoor and outdoor spaces featuring key attractions such a 1-kilometre ski slope, a heritage village, white sandy beach and water park, hotels and hotel apartments, as well as the largest dancing water fountain in the world.

Speaking on the progress of the project, Fahad Kazim, Vice President – Meydan Malls, Meydan Group, said: “We are changing the way the Middle East thinks of mall concepts today. Meydan One has been envisioned as a ‘place for everyone’, which means it seeks to accommodate varied needs and expectations. We are doing this through collaborating with the community to create a highly-integrated multifunctional hub for all nationalities and segments of the population. In addition, we are aiming to ensure that the space has a significant layer of digitisation to allow us to connect with consumer needs in a wholly unique way.”

Upon completion, Meydan One will host 580 retail stores including 30 anchor stores and 80 flagship luxury stores, 190 dining outlets and a 13,200-square metre hypermarket. These will be located across indoor and outdoor spaces oriented by an iconic retractable sky lit atrium space named the “Canyon” measuring 160 metres by 100 metres, featuring flexible areas for events and entertainment as well as unique al fresco dining experiences.

Erik Hokanson, Design Director, AE7, the full-service architectural firm behind the development of Meydan One, said: “Meydan One is being purpose-built to offer an exceptional community and retail experience. As the destination materializes, we are seeing its unique elements coming together to deliver an all-encompassing lifestyle hub. Right from the planning to its construction, Meydan One incorporates progressive and sustainable design to align with Dubai’s iconic infrastructure and vision to be at the centre of the global tourism and business landscape. This is certainly slated to become an integral part of Dubai’s entertainment and retail experience.”

With the aim of encouraging community interaction and providing a platform for local and international talent, Meydan One will house a multipurpose civic plaza with a capacity to host 30,000 people at any given point of time to facilitate a diverse range of cultural and entertainment activities for visitors of all ages.

A key attraction within the development, the dancing water fountain will span a phenomenal 380 metres in length enhanced by a choreographed three-dimensional water field and digital colour array.

In addition, an 8.2-kilometre Crystal Lagoon within Meydan One will feature over 500-metres of white sandy beaches, an exclusive beach club with a lounge area, as well as activities such as sea kayaking, paddle boats and water park facilities for adults and kids.

Adding to this is the development’s ‘Experience Zone’, which spans 28,000 square metres, and features carefully programmed innovative entertainment, traditional and extreme sports, edutainment and e-gaming experiences. The Experience Zone will also feature a multi-purpose sports arena with regulation size courts and designated versatile multi-sports areas.

Meydan One aims to integrate a new approach to leasing contracts by moving away from traditional approach to tenant-landlord relationships. “The dynamics of the tenant-landlord relationship used to be quite different, and is changing for the better. Critical insights need to be exchanged between the tenant as well as landlord, while educating each other, building a robust, successful and trustworthy relationship,” says Kazim.

Meydan One also seeks to disrupt the traditional retail experience through reinventing convenience and ease of movement with advanced wayfinding solutions. This disruption will also be embodied in Meydan One’s virtual platform to ensure seamless accessibility and customer service. The platform focuses on being truly omnichannel, empowering visitors to start their experience at home or at the airport via technology that is fully integrated with the physical infrastructure.

Seeking to drive startup innovation in the region, Meydan One will also feature an incubation district as a fully-enabled plug-and-play facility for up-and-coming entrepreneurs in fashion, beauty and F&B, among others. These dedicated startup spaces will offer tenants competitive leasing incentives and positioning through careful curation, mentorship and support to take new businesses from emerging brands to global ones – born in Dubai and proudly nurtured in Meydan One.

The destination differentiates itself through its progressive leasing mix that will allocate nearly 50 percent of its leasable area to F&B and entertainment including a 21-screen cinema with a deconstructed food court hosting an additional 20 outlets.  The development will be serviced by car parking facilities with more than 12,000 spaces.

Accessible through arterial road networks as well as public transportation options such as the Dubai Metro and Dubai Water Canal, the destination will serve as the epicentre of the Meydan One residential community, Mohammed Bin Rashid City and District One. The development is also integrated with the Meydan Racecourse.