Mace delivers Bahrain’s latest mall for Majid Al Futtaim

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Mace delivers Bahrain’s latest mall for Majid Al Futtaim

24/08/2008

Bahrain City Centre (BCC), the Kingdom's first combined entertainment, shopping and leisure resort, opened its doors for business on Wednesday 10th September. Mace was project manager on phase one of the scheme and undertook 24 months of development work for our client Majid Al Futtaim (MAF).

Estimated to attract an impressive 15 million shoppers in its first year of business, BCC will also pave the way for 2,000 new jobs. Adding as much as 150,000 square metres of gross leasing area to the Kingdom's retail space, BCC will not just be a shopping mall but a complete all-purpose facility conveniently situated in the heart of the city along Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Road in Seef District.

BCC is the latest development from Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim Group, a long-term client for Mace Group. Examples of previous projects for the client include Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai, Deira City Centre, Ajman City Centre and Sharjah City Centre. The majority of these projects include the management of Magic Planet fit outs and Cinestar cinemas.

A spokesman for client MAF commented: "As with all our malls, Bahrain City Centre will have several ‘firsts' for the region, both in terms of its size and scope as well as its unique offering of a fully integrated shopping and leisure destination."

Apart from the commercial and retail space that will stretch over three levels, the long awaited project has set the new benchmark for commercial, retail and entertainment megaplexes in the kingdom. BCC will offer an impressive list of attractions that include:

  • The biggest indoor/outdoor climate controlled water park in the Middle East
  • Cineco Cinema - the largest cinema complex in the region with 20 screens
  • A 16,600 square metre Carréfour hypermarket - the first in the country
  • A wide selection of international and local brands that will establish the centre as the prime retail destination and one of the region's leading shopping centres in terms of size, variety of offerings and the strength of the brands it accommodates

The shopping mall will have more than 350 shops, approximately 300 speciality shops and around 20 anchor stores. The mall is themed around water with the main skylight representing a large wave, and the four nodes reflecting water or beach themes. There is also a 'river' of granite on the ground floor that incorporates a water feature.

There are two hotels - one a 14-storey, five-star and the other a 12-storey, four-star - offering a total of 550 high-end accommodation.

Expected to open in 2009, the water park has an indoor area and an outdoor area and its main features include a family wave pool, a lazy river, four-lane racer, a standing wave pool, a tilting bucket, numerous pools and a food court. Once complete, it is expected to be the biggest indoor water park in the Middle East region.

The project is also designed to accommodate the largest collection of food and beverage outlets under one roof in the Kingdom - 54 units in all - which will extend over 9,700 square metres. It will have 11 coffee shops, 13 restaurants, 21 food court units and nine smaller outlets serving juice, ice cream and other snacks.

Read a project profile of Bahrain City Centre.