Dubai will have a new mega-mall - twice the size of the Dubai Mall that is the biggest in the world -- and far more modern, under plans unveiled by Emaar this week. The Dh10 billion complex, known as Dubai Square, will serve the clever additional purpose of helping the UAE capitalise on the fast-growing e-commerce industry.
“You just operate your store – don’t worry about anything else. We will operate and manage the digital side of it completely, so you can just focus on your business,” Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar told stakeholders at an event on Tuesday.
Emaar pitched Dubai Square as the world’s first digitally-enabled shopping mall. The complex will have its own ‘Dubai OS’ operating system embedded into its wifi to support retailers’ online operations. Mr Alabbar’s $1bn e-commerce venture Noon.com naturally, is a key part of the plans, with retailers able to list their products on its website.
Shoppers can use Noon.com if products are not in stock, and delivery firm Aramex, in which Mr Alabbar also has a stake, will take them to customers.
“We are leveraging the largest logistics network in the Middle East,” he said.
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Over time, the system will gather valuable data about people’s shopping habits, to improve both retail performance and customer service.
“Omnichannel retail is the way forward so shopping malls are here to stay, but they require e-commerce DNA to be embedded in their bricks and mortar,” Mr Alabbar added.
With the GCC e-commerce market forecast to grow to $24bn by the end of the decade, according to consultancy A T Kearney's estimates, the billionaire businessman is really on to the something with this latest venture.
It’s also no surprise that he wants to use Emaar’s biggest investment to date (Dubai Square is part of the Dubai Creek Harbour scheme, set to become the new heart of the emirate) to beef up his other interests – Aramex and Noon.com. The latter launched in the UAE last year, but has yet to raise its profile amid fierce competition from Amazon's Souq.com and others. Encouraging retail tenants to be a part of Noon’s growth strategy is smart.
The scheme should also be a no-brainer for global brands. An invitation to hand over their digital operations to Dubai Square and its partners is a compelling proposition as successful e-commerce requires expertise and investment. But they must be careful not to lose their place in the global retail race.
It’s all very well Mr Alabbar telling retailers, “you just focus on your business”. But in a world where e-commerce is disrupting traditional retail, digital strategy is part and parcel of any retailer’s growth strategy. If they fail to develop that side of the business it themselves and acquire necessary expertise, they run the risk of missing in other markets in future.
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
