Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre will begin a free trial period of their parking management system tomorrow (August 9) to ensure customers understand the new plan a month before the system actually starts, from September 10.
The parking management system was announced last month to ensure that the malls’ customers who use their own transport have adequate parking places once the Dubai Metro service begins on 09.09.09. The move is designed to deter park and ride Metro users who may use the malls’ parking facilities as Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre Metro Stations are so conveniently located.
Starting September 10, visitors to Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre will be provided with three hours free parking on weekdays and fours hours at the weekends (Fridays and Saturdays). For any customers wanting to watch a movie, an extra free hour will be provided on both weekdays and weekends.
During the free trial period from tomorrow until September 9, customers will need to collect a ticket at one of the parking entry stations. Once their visit to the mall is over, the ticket will be assessed at one of the Automatic Pay Machines and finally swiped at the exit barrier. Applicable fees will only be charged from September 10, a day after the Dubai Metro begins its service. Courtesy parking crews will be stationed around both the malls to help customers adapt to the new system.
The system is based on industry research showing an average of 70 per cent of shoppers spend three hours or less in the malls during the week and four hours or less over the weekend.
Fareed Abdelrahman, Vice-President, Divisional Asset Management for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said that the parking management system has been designed keeping the customers and their interests at heart. “Our parking management system has been devised to make sure that our shoppers are given the priority they have always received and our parking spaces are always available for them.”
“The new system will not deter customers from either shopping or simply window shopping, catching up with friends and families for meals/coffee or even a movie for that matter. There is ample free time provided in the system. However we needed to strike a balance and therefore the need to arrive at limited free hours so our spaces are not used as park and ride.”
“By introducing the free trial period a month in advance, we want to minimise any inconvenience for our customers and want to give them enough time to familiarize themselves with this new plan,” Abdelrahman concluded.
Dates to remember
Activity
Sunday, August 9
Free trial period of parking management system begins
Wednesday, September 9
Dubai Metro launched
Thursday, September 10
Parking management system starts with three hours of free parking on weekdays and four hours free on weekends. Customers wanting to watch a movie, an extra free hour will be provided
-Ends-
About Mall of the Emirates:
Mall of the Emirates, the world’s first shopping resort, is located in Dubai at interchange four on Sheikh Zayed Road. The two-level shopping centre features 466 international brands including 220,000 sqm of department stores, fashion, lifestyle, sports, electronics and home furnishing outlets, the largest Carrefour in the city and over 60 stores that are unique to the centre. The compelling family leisure offer includes a Magic Planet family entertainment area, a 14-screen multiplex cinema, the world-renowned Ski Dubai – the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort and snow park – a five star Kempinski hotel and 70 coffee shops and restaurants. Recently, the mall’s 500 seat community theatre and accompanying arts centre – DUCTAC – opened its doors to the public.
The mall is undergoing its largest ever expansion programme with just under half a billion dirhams to be invested in new space and is due to be completed by the late summer of 2010. The project will see the addition of increased facilities for shopping, dining and parking, a direct link for Dubai Metro commuters and increased parking spaces to accommodate 750 vehicles.
About Deira City Centre:
Deira City Centre is one of the flagship shopping, leisure and entertainment centres within the Majid Al Futtaim Properties portfolio.
Deira City Centre is home to 120 fashion outlets and prides itself as featuring mid-market popular fashion with well-known retailers such as Zara, Debenhams, New Look, H&M, Gap, Woolworths and Splash.
The Centre has a wide variety of retailers, including its anchor stores Carrefour, Virgin Megastore, Paris Gallery, Sun & Sand Sports and Magrudy’s. In addition to offering a great shopping experience, the Centre features City Centre Hotel and Residence; CineStar, an 11-screen multiplex cinema, Magic Planet family entertainment centre, a Textile Court, a specialized Jewellery Court, as well as a food court and several international restaurants and cafes; dedicated tourist services; and a host of electronic stores on the ground floor that all add to the overall atmosphere.
For more information, please contact:
Komal Manglani
Polaris Public Relations
P. O. Box 32838
Dubai, UAE
Tel: +9714-3415555; Fax: +9714-3415588
Email: k.manglani@polaris-me.com
