Community-centric, waterfront venues: UAE shopping malls reshaping retail landscape
From community-centric retail hubs to scenic leisure-focused malls, 2026 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for shopping in the UAE.
Expect fresh designs, outdoor spaces, wellness-led concepts and new lifestyle destinations across Dubai and beyond.
Where: Sobha Hartland, Dubai Size: ~339,000 sq ft retail and lifestyle space Crowd: Designed for neighbourhood footfall + wider visitors
Why it’s Cool: A brand-new community mall combining boutique shopping, supermarket, gym, play courts and over 10 dining spots — plus lifestyle and family zones right where people live.
Sobha Realty’s new community mall in Hartland is the developer’s maiden entry into the local retail
sector. The project is to be completed second-half of 2026. Liwan Mall
Where: Wadi Al Safa 2, DubaiSize: ~113,674 sq ft retail footprintCrowd: Residents and lifestyle seekers
Why It’s Cool: A boutique-style mall with Spanish-inspired architecture, café culture and landscaped spaces for dining and leisure — making shopping feel more like a full-day outing.
Liwan Mall is a 15 to 20 minute drive from the Dubai Mall of the Emirates. Villa Square
Where: Wadi Al Safa 5, DubaiSize: ~124,000 sq ft built-up areaCrowd: Families, wellness lovers, neighbourhood visitors
Why it’s cool: Think retail + wellbeing + curated eateries + rooftop pool. Villa Square blends open-air shopping with boutique experiences and wellness spaces, offering respite from the usual big-box mall scene.
South Bay Mall
Where: Dubai South Residential DistrictSize: ~200,000 sq ft across three levelsCrowd: Dubai South community, visitors
Why it’s cool: Set above lagoon views with open-air walkways, this new mall combines 60 retail outlets, premium food hall, gym, spa, clinic and more. It’s designed as a lifestyle hub, not just a shopping centre.
The project will have a mix of shopping, dining and leisure options while enhancing community living. Dubai Square
Where: Dubai Creek HarbourSize: Mega-scale concept (details TBD) Crowd: All shoppers & tourists
Why it’s cool: A next-generation mall conceived as an “indoor city” — extensive walkways, tech- enabled retail, dining and entertainment all under one roof. Expected to reshape how we think of mall experiences. Still in design phase, but the buzz is huge. Expected date of opening? 2026.
Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates upgrades
Where: DubaiSize: Existing giantsCrowd: Millions annually
Why it’s cool: Not new malls per se, but major expansions due for completion around 2026 – including 240 new luxury shops at Dubai Mall and significant entertainment, dining and social spaces at Mall of the Emirates.
These will change the mall-going experience across the city — think culture hubs, wellness clubs, outdoor courtyards and fresh retail districts.
https://www.gulf-insider.com/7-new-uae-malls-opening-in-2026/