Sometimes big just isn't big enough. At least that's what Dubai's government believes. They've got the world's tallest building and the world's largest indoor snow park. In fact, they're already home to the world's largest shopping mall, but according to CBS News, they're making plans to go above and beyond that — Dubai announced they are building a 48 million square foot, temperature-controlled shopping center. It's practically big enough to be it's own city.
Let's put things into perspective, shall we? The Mall of America, our country's great pride and joy, is currently the largest mall in the United States and stands at 4.2 million square feet. Earlier in March, they announced plans to double it in size, which would put them at about 8.4 million square feet — that makes Dubai's future 'Mall of the World' SIX TIMES bigger.
The prime minister and ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, officially launched the 'Mall of the World' project on July 5. It will be covered by a glass dome and in addition to featuring countless stores, it will house the largest indoor theme park as well as an estimated 100 hotels and serviced apartments. There will also be a theater district, which I'm guessing will be like Broadway x a gazillion, and a Wellness district that will provide a "holistic experience to medical tourists and their families," which will include specialized surgical procedures and cosmetic treatments. Translation: Plastic surgery in the world's biggest mall, y'all.
Their current world's largest shopping center, the Dubai Mall, is about 12.1 million square feet with over 1,200 stores. According to CNN, they also had about 75 million visitors in 2013, which is more than the Eiffel Tower,Niagara Falls and Disney World combined.
You might be wondering why the emirate has decided to take on such an ambitious venture. According to Sheikh Mohammed, this plan aligns with their bigger goal to "transform Dubai into a cultural, tourist and economic hub for the two billion people living in the region around us; and we are determined to achieve our vision." Well, you obviously know what that means...
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