The City Centre Al Zahia is a new shopping and leisure complex located close to Al Zahia, a 1.3 million-square-metre gated community, developed by Sharjah Holding and Majid Al Futtaim Holding, in Sharjah, UAE.
The shopping mall was developed with an estimated investment of AED2.6bn ($708m) and has a gross leasable area of 136,200m². The ground-breaking ceremony of the project was held in May 2017.
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The inauguration of the shopping mall has been delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This provided enough time to the tenants to prepare for their store openings and the mall was officially opened in May 2021.
The project is part of Majid Al Futtaim’s plans to invest AED78bn ($8.2bn) in the UAE by 2026. It is a significant addition to the City Centre brand portfolio of Majid Al Futtaim.
City Centre Al Zahia mall location
The City Centre Al Zahia shopping mall is located at the junction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the University City Road in Sharjah. It is easily accessible from most zones in Sharjah, as well as from Ajman and other cities in the Northern Emirates.
The mall is a shopping destination for the individuals residing in the Al Zahia gated community, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates.
Design details
The City Centre Al Zahia mall design is similar to a lantern while its architecture is inspired by the Sharjah Light Festival.
The entrance of the mall features a canopy roof designed in the shape of a wave in contrast to traditional designs. The roof is made of approximately 1,200t of steel and consists of box sections. It is supported by columns that are similar to the branches of a tree.
Retailers and amenities
The City Centre Al Zahia features a mix of established and new brands, including a 15,100m² Carrefour Hypermarket. It also includes 360 retail brands across two levels. Leisure facilities include VOX Cinemas, with 16 screens equipped with the latest theatre technology, and a 2,350m² family entertainment destination named Magic Planet.
The ground floor of the mall features multiple cafes and fast-food brands. The external food and beverage section near the mall entrance provides covered alfresco seating, in addition to several dining options.
The second floor of the mall features a variety of food court and family dining options and furnished terraces overlooking beautiful landscaping.
An open-air plaza near the main entrance of the first floor offers great views of the landscape. The place is ideal for casual and fine dining, as well as events and art installations.
Sustainability features
The City Centre Al Zahia shopping mall design incorporates both passive and active measures to improve energy efficiency and outdoor/indoor comfort levels.
It features optimised natural daylight in the concourse areas, a water conservation and recycling system, and an efficient energy utilisation system.
Contractors involved
Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) was the main contractor of the City Centre Al Zahia mall. CCC sub-contracted TMS Formwork and Scaffolding Systems to carry out structural design work for the project.
Khatib & Alami acted as the main consultant for the project and also provided programme management services, while HSSG was responsible for piling and shoring works.
A&P Paraskevaides and Partners, a subsidiary of A&P Group of Companies, was awarded the sub-contract for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works.
Galadari Engineering Works designed and manufactured the entrance canopy, as well as sub-contracted Tekla for providing building information modelling (BIM) services.
Aeromaritime Security Systems Middle East supplied TETRA/LTE indoor building solution for the project, which includes approximately 500 antennae, 20,000m of coaxial cables, and a TETRA base station.
Orcival pump was awarded the contract to supply hydronic components to the City Centre Al Zahia mall in March 2019.
