New malls in Dubai (2026): every announced mall and expansion, where it is and when it opens

A new mall changes daily life in a community more than almost anything else that gets built there. It brings the supermarket, the pharmacy, the clinic and the cinema within a short drive or a walk. For anyone buying off-plan, it also answers a practical question: where will I do my weekly shop when I move in?

This guide lists every new mall and mall expansion in Dubai that has been announced by its owner, with the location, the size, the opening timing and the communities each one serves. Projects reported only by brokers or in the press without an owner's announcement are left out until they are confirmed.

Jump to: the full list, opening dates, the large malls, community malls, expansions, what it means for buyers.

Ten mall projects in Dubai have been announced by their owners as of 4 November 2026. Three are large new malls, four are community centres, two are expansions of existing malls and one is a new Majid Al Futtaim mall that has not yet been named.

Mall	Where	Owner or developer	Size as stated	Opening
Skylight Mall	Al Khail Road, beside Jumeirah Village Triangle	Dubai Retail (Dubai Holding Asset Management)	1.3 million sq ft GLA, more than 360 stores	2027
Dubai Square	Dubai Creek Harbour	Emaar	2.6 million sq m of retail, hospitality and commercial area	About three years from December 2025
Ghaf Woods Mall	E311, inside Ghaf Woods	Majid Al Futtaim	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Majid Al Futtaim mall, Dubai South	Near Al Maktoum International	Majid Al Futtaim with Dubai South	Anchor of a 22 million sq ft community	To be confirmed
The Yard	Palm Jebel Ali	Dubai Retail	About 70,000 sq ft GLA, 26 concepts	2027
South Bay Mall	Dubai South Residential District	Dubai South Properties	About 200,000 sq ft, 60 units	To be confirmed
Sobha Mall	Sobha Hartland, Mohammed Bin Rashid City	Sobha Realty	339,000 sq ft built-up, about 115,000 sq ft GLA	Second half of 2026
The Grand	Nad Al Sheba Gardens	Shamal Holding	Fully leased community centre	In phases from 19 August 2026
Dubai Mall expansion	Downtown Dubai	Emaar	240 new retail and dining options	To be confirmed
Mall of the Emirates transformation	Al Barsha	Majid Al Futtaim	20,000 sq m more retail, 100 new stores	In phases to early 2027 and beyond

GLA means gross leasable area: the floor space let to shops and restaurants. It is smaller than the built-up area, which also counts corridors, parking and services.

The pattern is clear on the map. The new malls follow the new housing: south-west towards Al Maktoum International, inland along Al Khail Road and the E311, and onto the new islands.

Two opened or were due to open in 2026, two have a 2027 date and one is expected about the end of 2028. Mall of the Emirates is opening in stages, and four dates are to be confirmed. The dates below are the owners' own.

Three points to keep in mind when you read a date:

• A year is a target, not a promise. Large malls often open in stages, with an anchor first and the rest of the units over the following months. The Grand, for example, opened its first phase in August 2026 and lists health tenants for early 2027.
• A contractor is a firmer signal than a render. The Yard names its main contractor and the Dubai Mall expansion had its contractor mobilising when it was announced. Where no contractor is named, ask the developer what stage the project has reached.
• "Completed in three years" is a window. Emaar's December 2025 statement on Dubai Square points to about the end of 2028. Count from the announcement date, not from today.

The three large new malls are Skylight Mall, Dubai Square and Ghaf Woods Mall, with a fourth, unnamed Majid Al Futtaim mall planned in Dubai South. Each is built to draw shoppers from across the city, not only from the communities around it.

Skylight Mall, Al Khail Road

Skylight Mall is a super-regional mall by Dubai Retail, the malls business of Dubai Holding Asset Management, announced on 6 October 2026 and scheduled to open in 2027. It will have 1.3 million sq ft of gross leasable area and more than 360 stores, with dining, entertainment and everyday services.

It sits on Al Khail Road beside Jumeirah Village Triangle, Jumeirah Islands and The Springs, with Jumeirah Village Circle just across the road. Those are some of Dubai's busiest areas for new apartments, and until now their nearest large malls have been a drive away. Our news story on Skylight Mall has the full announcement.

Dubai Square, Dubai Creek Harbour

Dubai Square is Emaar's retail and entertainment centre at Dubai Creek Harbour. Emaar completed its detailed design in February 2024 and unveiled it again in December 2025 with a total retail, hospitality and commercial area of 2.6 million sq m. Construction was under way and expected to be completed in three years.

Emaar describes a drive-through mall design, a full transport network and pedestrian streets, and a direct link to the planned Dubai Creek Tower. Dubai Creek Harbour itself is planned with 7.4 million sq m of residential space and 500,000 sq m of parks. For the homes around it, see Dubai Creek Harbour and Emaar Properties.

Ghaf Woods Mall, E311

Majid Al Futtaim announced Ghaf Woods Mall in October 2025 as its new flagship in Dubai. It sits on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) inside Ghaf Woods, the group's AED 15.4 billion residential community, and is planned as a forest-integrated centre that combines shopping, dining and entertainment with planting.

It will be Majid Al Futtaim's 30th mall and its 19th in the UAE. The opening date is to be confirmed. Homes in Ghaf Woods, such as Capria and Cilia, are on our Majid Al Futtaim page.

The Majid Al Futtaim mall in Dubai South

In May 2026 Dubai South and Majid Al Futtaim signed an agreement to develop an AED 62 billion mixed-use master community in Dubai South, near Al Maktoum International Airport. It will cover 22 million sq ft and will be anchored by a large shopping mall.

The name, size and opening date of the mall are to be confirmed. This is the furthest from opening of the projects on this page, but it is the one most closely tied to the airport's growth. The first phase of Al Maktoum International is expected in 2032.

Four master communities have a named community mall announced or open: Nad Al Sheba Gardens, Sobha Hartland, Dubai South and Palm Jebel Ali. These are smaller centres built around a supermarket and daily services, for the people who live there.

The Grand, Nad Al Sheba Gardens

Shamal Holding, owner of Nad Al Sheba Gardens, named the community's centre The Grand and announced it as fully leased ahead of opening in phases from 19 August 2026. It is anchored by Waitrose & Partners, the first in Nad Al Sheba, with retail, dining, wellness and everyday services opening in phases. Fitcode and American Hospital are due in early 2027 to complete the health and wellness offer.

The community is a Meraas villa and townhouse development near Meydan. See our Nad Al Sheba Gardens page and the upcoming Phase 12.

Sobha Mall, Sobha Hartland

Sobha Realty announced an AED 210 million mall inside Sobha Hartland, its community in Mohammed Bin Rashid City. It has a built-up area of about 339,000 sq ft and a gross leasable area of about 115,000 sq ft, with 35 shops and food outlets and more than 10 dining options.

Plans include a supermarket, a gym, play courts and an indoor entertainment area, and the mall was scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026. Homes nearby include Sobha Hartland II, Riverside Crescent and Skyvue.

South Bay Mall, Dubai South

Dubai South Properties announced South Bay Mall in November 2025 as its first retail and lifestyle centre, in the Dubai South Residential District. It covers about 200,000 sq ft over ground, first and rooftop levels, with 60 retail units, two anchor stores and a food hall.

It will also have a clubhouse, a gym, a spa, a clinic and parking for more than 400 cars. The mall serves South Bay, a waterfront community of more than 800 villas and townhouses and more than 200 waterfront mansions around a lagoon about a kilometre long. Projects by the developer are on our Dubai South Properties page.

The Yard, Palm Jebel Ali

The Yard is Palm Jebel Ali's first retail and lifestyle destination, announced by Dubai Retail in September 2026 and scheduled to open in 2027. It will have about 70,000 sq ft of lettable space and 26 concepts across retail, dining, wellness and healthcare, for about 20,000 residents.

Named tenants include Waitrose, American Hospital, a nursery and Bateel Café, and McLaren Construction is the main contractor. It is built on the waterfront with open terraces and a link to a promenade. Homes on the island, such as the Frond F villas and Palm Central Private Residences, are on our Palm Jebel Ali page.

Retail planned inside other new communities

Several master plans include their own town centres, though without a named mall yet:

• Emaar South: 53,000 sq m of retail and dining in the plan, around an 18-hole golf course.
• The Valley: a 32,000 sq m town centre on the Dubai to Al Ain Road.
• Tilal Al Ghaf: Majid Al Futtaim's lagoon community in Dubailand, beside the developer's Ghaf Woods.

For a guide to the newest communities themselves, see Dubai's newest communities and where they are.

The two largest existing malls, the Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, both have major investment programmes. For buyers in Downtown and Al Barsha, these change what is on the doorstep more than a new mall elsewhere would.

The Dubai Mall

Emaar announced an AED 1.5 billion expansion of the Dubai Mall in June 2024, adding 240 new luxury stores and food and beverage outlets. The contractor was mobilising on site at the time. The mall already measures 1.2 million sq m and has more than 1,200 retail outlets.

The completion date is to be confirmed. Homes in the area are on our Downtown Dubai page.

Mall of the Emirates

Majid Al Futtaim announced an AED 5 billion transformation of Mall of the Emirates in April 2025, for the mall's 20th anniversary. It adds 20,000 sq m of retail space and 100 new stores across luxury, fashion and lifestyle.

AED 1.1 billion had already been allocated to a wellness club, a cultural hub with a 600-seat theatre, a dining precinct and road and access works with the Roads and Transport Authority. Four new entertainment concepts are due by late 2026, and the mall's first outdoor food and beverage courtyard is set for early 2027.

The communities closest to a new mall with a 2027 date are Jumeirah Village Triangle, beside Skylight Mall, and Palm Jebel Ali, home to The Yard. These tables show what we track in each, updated as we add projects.

Jumeirah Village Triangle, beside Skylight Mall:

Palm Jebel Ali, home of The Yard:

Dubai South, home of South Bay Mall and the planned Majid Al Futtaim mall:

For Dubai Creek Harbour, Mohammed Bin Rashid City and Nad Al Sheba, open the area pages linked above.

It should be one input, not the reason. A mall makes daily life easier and is something tenants ask about, but the home itself, the price, the payment plan and the handover date matter more.

Use these checks before you count a planned mall in your decision:

1. How far is it from your building? Measure the walk or the drive from the tower or villa cluster, not from the community gate. A mall at the other end of a large master plan can be a ten-minute drive.
2. Does it open before or after your handover? If your home hands over in 2027 and the mall is due in 2027, plan for a year in which it may not be open yet. Filter homes by handover year.
3. What stage is it at? An owner's announcement with a named contractor or an opening phase is firmer than a masterplan drawing. Ask the developer what is built.
4. Is it a community centre or a destination mall? A community centre brings a supermarket and services. A destination mall brings traffic too. Both have trade-offs for the homes next to them.
5. What else is on the way? Schools, clinics, the Metro and roads usually matter more day to day. Our guide to family communities and schools covers schools, and Dubai's areas and districts compares the areas.

Once you have a shortlist, check the project and the developer properly: registration, escrow and construction progress. The steps are in how to check an off-plan project and developer, and how to buy off-plan property in Dubai covers the purchase itself.

• Gross leasable area (GLA): the floor space let to tenants. The best figure for comparing how much shopping a mall will have.
• Built-up area: the total floor area of the building, including corridors, plant rooms and often parking.
• Anchor: a large tenant, usually a supermarket or department store, that draws visitors to the rest of the mall.
• Community mall: a smaller centre built mainly for one master community, with a supermarket, pharmacy, clinic and cafés.
• Super-regional mall: a large mall built to draw shoppers from across the city, such as Skylight Mall.
• Master community: a planned development by one master developer, with its own roads, parks and retail, such as Nad Al Sheba Gardens or Emaar South.

Tell us which mall or community you are interested in, and we will send the homes nearby that fit your budget, with today's availability and the handover date checked for each.