Dubai, UAE: Master developer, Nakheel has awarded a construction contract to build Deira Mall, purportedly Dubai’s biggest shopping, dining and entertainment destination in terms of retail space, with a total investment of AED 6.1 billion.

According to an announcement from the company, Nakheel has appointed United Engineering Construction to build the mall, under a contract valued at AED 4.2 billion. Construction will begin in Q3 in 2017, with completion in 2020, mentioned the announcement.

The mall, the announcement said, will be located on a four-million-square-feet site, where vibro-compaction work is under way, at the heart of Deira Islands. With a total built-up area of 10.3 million square feet, including a 3.8 million-square-feet multi-storey car park with 8,400 spaces, Deira Mall, the announcement revealed, will feature over 1,000 shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment outlets across three floors. The development, it added, will also include a retractable roof, bringing natural light into the complex and allowing open-air shopping in cooler months.

Deira Mall, the company said, will be the centrepiece of Deira Boulevard, a new AED 5 billion Nakheel community with 16 residential towers, nearly 3,000 apartments and extensive retail, restaurant and recreation space.