‘Most visited place on Earth’: Dubai’s massive mall to get $600m expansion

Is there any city that loves superlatives more than this? This record-breaking location is about to get even bigger.

Dubai loves a record-breaking attraction.

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, XLine Dubai is the world’s longest urban zip line, JumpX Dubai is the world’s largest inflatable park, Aquaventure Waterpark is the world’s largest water park and Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping centre by total area – but that is about to get even bigger.

The 1.2m square metre shopping centre already has more than 1200 retail outlets and more than 200 food and beverage outlets.

A 1.5 billion dirham ($608 million) expansion will add 240 new luxury retail and dining options.

A digital render shows what the $608 million expansion is expected to look like. Picture: Supplied

Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa are separated by the Dubai Fountain. Picture: Suppled

However, arguably, Dubai Mall is most known for its offerings outside the regular stores you would find in a shopping centre.

At the centre of the mall is a massive aquarium (holding 10 million litres of water) where guests can walk in a tunnel that burrows through the main tank.

Shoppers can also find an Olympic-sized ice rink (even when it’s 40C-plus outside), an Emirates A380 simulator, a virtual reality theme park, a 155-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton, and a 26-screen cinema.

It's certainly not a regular shopping centre. Picture: Supplied

United Arab Emirates real estate developer Emaar Properties said a new record for the mall justified its expansion plans.

It said there were 105 million visitors last year, a 19 per cent jump on the year before, earning it the title of ‘most visited place on Earth’.

Dubai Mall had 105 million visitors last year. Picture: Supplied

“The new Dubai Mall expansion is a great addition to one of the most visited sites in the world,” Emaar Properties founder Mohamed Alabbar said in a statement last month announcing the big investment.

He added: “This expansion reflects Dubai’s ambitious vision to remain at the forefront of global innovation and culture, further solidifying our city’s position as a top global destination.”

Emaar Properties did not say when the project would start or be completed, but claimed “the contractor is already mobilising on-site”.