It partially opened last year, but on Wednesday, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, made it official. Reem Mall, Abu Dhabi's newest shopping destination, is now fully open to the public and is expected to become a busy lifestyle destination.
A handful of stores have been in operation since February 2023, and Snow Abu Dhabi was added to the attraction in May 2023. Since then, the Al Reem Island mall, which can accommodate up to 400 shops, has grown steadily, welcoming dozens of new retailers and restaurants in recent weeks ahead of the official launch.
Construction is reported to have cost $1.2 billion for a facility that covers an area of nearly 260,000 square metres and has a car park with 6,800 spaces.
Here are the retail, restaurant and entertainment highlights worth checking out.
World-first Bloomingdale's
Reem Mall is home to the world's only beauty-focused Bloomingdale's. On its shelves are cosmetic products from brands such as Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Estee Lauder and more. The arena also has a “magic mirror” where shoppers can see products on themselves without actually putting them on.
Elsewhere, new operators include fashion brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as local perfumer Rasasi Perfumes. Earlier this year, Apparel Group opened franchises of Steve Madden, Nine West, Aldo Accessories and Skechers on a week-on-week basis.
The mall also has a bunch of multi-brand department stores including Centrepoint and the recently opened Jashanmal.
Boost juice and Eataly treats
Coinciding with the mall's official opening on Wednesday was the launch of a second branch of Australian-born Boost Juice Bar, which is bringing its healthy smoothies and multi-flavour concoctions to the capital.
Outposts of Chinese chain New Shanghai and steakhouse The Butcher Shop and Grill also opened recently, as did cafes such as Costa Coffee, Milestones and Brioche Doree.
In-the-know foodies are most excited about global Italian food market and restaurant chain Eataly's first branch in Abu Dhabi, which opened at Reem Mall last month. The venue features a full-service restaurant, a casual dining area and quick-service counters for on-the-go diners. It also has a cafe as well as Venchi gelato.
Private cinema and Cube Challenges
The mall has big ambitions when it comes to entertainment. For instance, the Vox Cinemas here is one of only two in the UAE that has a private screening room with eight seats for more intimate film viewings (the other is in Kempinski Hotel in Dubai).
The sub-zero 9,732-square-metre indoor park Snow Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, is a hit with children and adults alike and has 20 rides and attractions.
Another first for the UAE is Cubes Challenges, a real-life gaming experience that has 32 rooms with tasks that span four categories, and involves the use of fitness, problem-solving and other skills. The clue is in the name, with games including Laser Maze, Bomb Squad, Crazy Circuit and Lava Land, plus a range of horror-themed experiences, including Ghost Hunters and Magic Potion.
Reem Mall is open Sunday to Thursday, 10am-10pm, and Friday and Saturday, 10am-midnight
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Top 10 most polluted cities
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Mountain%20Boy
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Tour de France Stage 16:
165km run from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
