Yas Mall affirms its position as Abu Dhabi’s leading destination

Yas Mall affirms its position as Abu Dhabi’s leading destination for retail, dining and entertainment for 2016 attracting approximately 40 million visitors since its opening in November 2014

• Highlights include hosting large-scale events such as  the Spring Festival, the 2nd  Yas Mall Fashion Week and New Year’s Eve celebrations
• Yas Mall has orchestrated a number of successful partnerships and exclusive offers for visitors to enjoy all year round

Yas Mall’s Achievements

In two years, Yas Mall has redefined the UAE’s shopping landscape, providing visitors with a unique lifestyle experience by bringing some of the world’s most exclusive brands, restaurants and entertainment venues all under one roof. Yas Mall has also set a new standing in the UAE’s retail sector, by creating a new interactive leisure offering so that the mall has become an entertainment destination, filling a gap in the market that both shoppers and retailers needed to provide the complete experience.

Yas Mall continued to attract millions of visitors this year, with the mall welcoming approximately 40 million visitors since its opening in November 2014.

“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together. We are continually looking for new ways to engage with our visitors of all ages, including both tourists and residents, and so we have ensured that we offer the most diverse portfolio of restaurants, shops and leisure outlets, all in a beautifully designed setting, to enable Abu Dhabi to become one of the world’s leading retail destination.” said HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO of Aldar Properties.

With a selection that includes over 93 unique stores, boasting the Middle East’s largest Debenhams, The One, Zara,  Nike, Adventure HQ, among others, whilst hosting the region’s first Apple store, Chaloub’s only Tryano luxury department store,  Rogo’s dining restaurant, Yas Mall prides itself on the unprecedented choice it offers its customers.

Yas Mall is an award-winning destination, complimenting the overall Yas Island experience, which already features iconic attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Waterworld, Yas Links and seven hotels. It’ss central location offers great accessibility being only 5 minutes Abu Dhabi International Airport, 15 minutes from the Capital’s city centre and 45 minutes from Dubai, making it both a tourist hub and extremely popular with the local residential community.

Yas Mall hosts an incredible calendar of events

Yas Mall hosted a series of stellar events this 2016, targeting all nationalities and age groups, focusing on popular activities, such as sports, fashion, entertainment, and art.

“Through its original mix of dining, retail and entertainment facilities Yas Mall has changed the UAE’s shopping landscape, offering its visitors a new type of shopping experience. To thank all of our loyal fans and to entice new ones we have partnered with many of our retailers and partners to celebrate our second anniversary with a variety of fantastic events and exclusive experiences. We look forward to 2017 with an exciting lineup of events and promotions which we will announce soon.” said Saoud Khoory, General Manager of Yas Mall.”

National Days Celebrations

Yas Mall is famous for its remarkable National Days celebrations. Constantly appealing to visitors of all nationalities Yas Mall is proud to mark the National Days of all surrounding GCC countries including Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Through these different celebrations, Yas Mall aims at further spreading the spirit of national pride and unity, inviting guests to learn more about the different cultures and traditions.

In celebration of the UAE’s 45^th National Day this year, Yas Mall, offered its visitors ten days of wonder and excitement through a line-up of traditional dances, falcon shows and henna stations, giving tourists and locals alike a taste of the favourite traditional pastimes of the United Arab Emirates. Yas Mall also hosted their first indoor walkathon, encouraging all families to to unite for this healthy activity.

Earlier in the beginning of the year, Yas Mall, hosted a series of celebrations in honour of the Chinese New Year to delight and engage local communities and tourists from across the region. The event was inaugurated by Chang Hua, the Chinese Ambassador to the UAE, and showcased the rich Chinese heritage through a variety of activities planned in celebration of the Year of the Monkey.

Yas Mall’s Calendar of Major Events

Gulf Traffic Week at Yas Mall

This year Yas Mall hosted the 32nd Traffic Week for GCC, organized by the Ministry of Interior, showcasing the slogan “Your Choice Determines Your Destiny.” Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the event was opened by Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, and in the presence of HE Major General Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, which ignited the attention of HH Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to provide traffic safety for all road users.

Yas Mall Spring Festival

The Yas Mall Spring Festival, held from March 31^st to April 8^th, designed to brings families and fashionistas together, was a celebration all things new, including a fantastical array of parades, gardens and entertainment, as well as fashion, arts and workshops.The two highlights were the three days of children’s runway shows, which were the result of a three-week competition held across the mall’s social media platforms, and an an impressive exclusive performance from the Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram performing as the headline act on 31^st March for all mall visitors to enjoy.

Yas Mall Fashion Week

Abu Dhabi lived four days of glam, glitz and fame with Yas Mall Fashion Week. Attended by fashionistas, VIPs and guests from all over the UAE, Yas Mall Fashion Week was an incredibly stylish fashion festival, featuring an inspirational talk by Lebanese fashion designer Reem Acra, top daily fashion shows, an exclusive performance by Ragheb Alameh, followed by a lavish Gala event at Yas Viceroy Hotel.

The four days of Yas Mall Fashion Week were marked by a number of international debuts highlighted by premium brands such as Tryano, Ted Baker, Esposa, House of Fraser, Hoss Intropia, Maje, Bebe, and Debenhams Karen Millen, and Weill  to engage with visitors, Yas Mall Fashion Week also featured beauty stations as hair and make-up stylists who recreated the red-carpet looks giving guests requested make-overs. Throughout the catwalk shows there were also competitions in which lucky winners were gifted shopping vouchers, whilst the catwalk collections were available to purchase in-store.

Yas Mall’s Charity and Community Outreach

Yas Mall ensured that visitors and community  were given many special and memorable experiences this year through a variety of cultural, religious and charitable activities.

For Ramadan, in partnership with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (AWQAF), Yas Mall hosted Holy Quran learning lessons for children before Iftar every day which included a competition for the child that memorized the most won a special prize; in addition to a special facility for hosting Taraweeh prayers at the mall prayer rooms.

In line with its commitment to corporate social responsibility, Yas Mall also hosted a month long donations campaign in partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent. Visitors and families were encouraged to donate clothing, toys and money to spread the message of generosity and solidarity associated with Ramadan’s spirit.

In addition, Yas Mall collaborated with Down Syndrome Association and Red Crescent Yas Mall hosted Ramadan Iftar for over 100 Children, with participation from families with the Emirates Down Syndrome Association and orphaned children from the Emirates Red Crescent. The Iftar took place at the authentic Italian restaurant, Carluccio’s, followed by a play session at Fun Works, which holds the region’s largest soft play area for kids.

Yas Mall has also partnered with Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF (EWS-WWF) to educate visitors about marine conservation, as part of the mall’s efforts to play a role in raising awareness about sustainability and the importance of environmental preservation. Another charity initiative was the Great Green Race, in which visitors enjoyed an environmentally-themed experience, where they learned about endangered marine life in and around Abu Dhabi.

As part of its commitment to contributing to The Year of Reading in the UAE, through driving the creation of a generation of book lovers while consolidating the UAE’s position as a global capital for culture and knowledge, Yas Mall, hosted its first Reading Fair from 27th – 30th April 2016, to engage children and families from all ages.

Aiming to motivate visitors on the positive interaction between family members and children of all ages through a variety of events, the Reading Fair welcomed visitors from across all Emirates, as well as students from Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Aldar Academies, who enjoyed this inspiring experience with many activities and promotions offered by key retailers in the mall.

Yas Mall’s set of partnerships and exclusive offers

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, announced a “First Class” agreement with Yas Mall to become one of the key partners during Yas Mall’s Fashion Week in October. Together offering Shamsa Al Mazroui, the Emirati winner of the ‘Design your way to the Runway” competition a trip to New York Fashion Week.

Yas Mall also launched its first ever gift card this year. The Yas Mall Gift Card now offers visitors the ultimate retail experience, with an easy and efficient way to select the perfect gift from a vast array of choices across hundreds of international brands and dining options, along with a range of exclusive and unique stores. The card, which can be purchased at any customer service desk around the mall, offers its holders the chance to use the card in booking rooms with added privileges across Yas Island’s world-class hotels.

Yas Mall also conducted an agreement with Flash Entertainment for sponsoring and hosting several events including Arabic Comedy Festival, Yasalam activities, which showcases a great series of events offering including music, sports, cultural, and recreational activities in Abu Dhabi, which is in line with Yas Mall’s to offer something new and special for all visitors.

With its incredible range of outlets, from the luxury retailers to family favourites, from sportswear and lifestyle brands to home design shop, Combined with a brilliant choice of entertainment and dining options, Yas Mall, where it’s all happening!