UAE
UAE
Published on Aug 21st 2026
🛍️ New Malls in Dubai and Retail Hubs: What’s Opening and Where
Dubai’s shopping scene is about to get even bigger. 🛍️ AUG 2026
Across the emirate, nine new malls and community retail destinations are planned or opening, bringing shopping, restaurants, cafés, entertainment, wellness and everyday services closer to some of Dubai’s fastest-growing residential communities.
The new destinations stretch from Nad Al Sheba, Sobha Hartland and Liwan to The Villa, Dubai South, Ghaf Woods and Dubai Creek Harbour. 📍
For shoppers, the biggest change may be convenience. Instead of travelling across Dubai for every shopping or dining trip, residents will increasingly have neighbourhood retail destinations within easy reach.
Here is a look at the 9 upcoming malls and retail hubs in Dubai and what visitors can expect.
📍 Location: Nad Al Sheba Gardens
📅 Opening: Phased opening from August 19, 2026
The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens is one of the most immediate additions to Dubai’s retail map.
The destination began its phased opening on August 19, 2026, with a mix of supermarkets, retail, dining, healthcare, wellness and community services.
🛒 Shopping: One of its biggest attractions is expected to be Waitrose, marking the supermarket brand’s first location in Nad Al Sheba.
🍽️ Dining: The first phase and upcoming tenant mix includes restaurants, cafés, bakeries and food concepts such as Tashas, Somewhere, Home Bakery, Kokoro, Blu Pizzeria and Bake My Day.
💆 Wellness & Services: Healthcare, optical, pharmacy, nursery and beauty services are also planned.
The Grand is designed more as a lifestyle and neighbourhood destination than a traditional mega-mall.
⭐ Best for: 🛒 Everyday shopping | 🍽️ Dining | 👨👩👧👦 Families | 💆 Wellness
📍 Location: Sobha Hartland
📅 Expected completion: Second half of 2026
Sobha Realty is adding a new community mall to Sobha Hartland, creating another retail destination for residents of the growing area.
The approximately 339,000-square-foot mall represents an investment of around Dh210 million.
🛍️ Retail: Plans call for approximately 35 retail and food-and-beverage outlets.
🍴 Dining: More than 10 dining options are planned.
🏋️ Lifestyle: Visitors are also expected to find a supermarket, gym, play courts and indoor entertainment facilities.
The project is particularly significant because it brings a dedicated shopping and lifestyle destination directly into one of Dubai’s expanding residential communities.
⭐ Best for: 👨👩👧👦 Families | 🍽️ Dining | 🏋️ Fitness | 🎮 Entertainment
📍 Location: Wadi Al Safa 2, Liwan
📅 Expected completion: Second half of 2026
Liwan is also preparing for a new retail destination with Le Meryeme Mall.
The mall is planned across approximately 113,674 square feet, with retail stores, restaurants, cafés, landscaped areas and a swimming pool.
🌳 Its design is expected to place considerable emphasis on natural light, greenery and open spaces.
Rather than competing directly with Dubai’s giant shopping centres, the concept is aimed at providing a more convenient lifestyle destination for nearby residents.
⭐ Best for: 🛍️ Local shopping | ☕ Cafés | 🍽️ Dining | 🌳 Leisure
📍 Location: Wadi Al Safa 5, near The Villa
📅 Expected completion: Q3 2026
A second Le Meryeme development is planned in Wadi Al Safa 5 near The Villa residential community.
The approximately 124,000-square-foot destination is expected to include retail outlets, family dining, landscaped spaces and wellness and leisure facilities.
🌿 Its indoor-outdoor design is intended to create a relaxed environment where visitors can combine shopping with dining and leisure.
For residents of The Villa and surrounding communities, the development could become a convenient alternative to travelling to larger malls elsewhere in Dubai.
⭐ Best for: 👨👩👧👦 Families | 🍴 Restaurants | 💆 Wellness | 🛍️ Community shopping
📍 Location: Dubai South Residential District
📅 Opening: Date yet to be announced
Dubai South is becoming one of the most important areas to watch for future retail development.
South Bay Mall is planned to provide approximately 200,000 square feet of retail, dining and leisure space.
🌊 The development is planned across ground, first and rooftop levels, with open-air walkways and views towards the South Bay lagoon.
🛍️ Retail: Approximately 60 retail units and two large stores.
🍽️ Food: A premium food hall is planned.
🏋️ Lifestyle: Outdoor leisure areas, a clubhouse, gym, spa and clinic are also expected.
With Dubai South continuing to grow as a residential, aviation and logistics hub, South Bay Mall could become an important shopping and lifestyle destination for the surrounding area.
⭐ Best for: 🛒 Shopping | 🍽️ Food | 🏋️ Fitness | 💆 Wellness | 🌊 Leisure
📍 Location: Dubai South, near Al Maktoum International Airport
📅 Expected development timeline: Initial phases targeted by 2028
Another future retail destination is planned as part of HAYAT by Dubai South.
The wider HAYAT development covers approximately 10 million square feet and is planned to include around 2,500 homes.
🛍️ A community mall and retail boulevard will provide residents with access to shops, cafés and everyday services.
🌳 The wider community is also planned around parks, shaded walking routes, fitness and wellness facilities, swimming pools, landscaped gardens and lagoons.
This approach reflects a growing trend in Dubai: integrating retail into residential communities instead of developing shopping centres as standalone destinations.
⭐ Best for: 🏡 Residents | 👨👩👧👦 Families | ☕ Cafés | 🛒 Everyday services
📍 Location: Dubai South, near Al Maktoum International Airport
📅 Opening: To be announced
One of the most significant future retail projects will be part of a new mixed-use development being created through a partnership between Dubai South and Majid Al Futtaim.
The wider project has a reported value of Dh62 billion and covers approximately 22 million square feet.
🏬 A major shopping mall will serve as the retail and entertainment anchor of the development.
Detailed information about the mall’s final name, size, brands and opening date has not yet been announced.
However, its location within Dubai South makes it a project worth watching as the area expands around Al Maktoum International Airport.
⭐ Best for: 🛍️ Shopping | 🍽️ Dining | 🎬 Entertainment | 🌆 Future lifestyle experiences
📍 Location: Ghaf Woods, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road
📅 Opening: Date yet to be announced
Dubai’s retail scene is increasingly experimenting with nature-focused environments, and the planned Ghaf Woods Mall is a strong example.
The mall will form part of Majid Al Futtaim’s Ghaf Woods community, a large residential development designed around a forest-inspired concept.
🌲 The wider development is planned with more than 30,000 trees, while the retail destination is expected to combine shopping, dining, entertainment and leisure.
🏬 The mall is also expected to become Majid Al Futtaim’s 30th mall when completed.
Rather than relying solely on traditional indoor shopping, the concept is intended to connect retail with outdoor living, wellbeing and nature.
⭐ Best for: 🌳 Nature | 🛍️ Lifestyle shopping | 🍽️ Dining | 💆 Wellness | 🎉 Entertainment
📍 Location: Dubai Creek Harbour
📅 Expected opening: 2028
Perhaps the most ambitious project on Dubai’s upcoming retail calendar is Dubai Square at Dubai Creek Harbour.
The planned destination is expected to cover approximately 2.6 million square metres, combining retail, restaurants, entertainment and technology-focused experiences.
🏙️ Dubai Square has been envisioned as more than a conventional shopping mall. Its concept resembles an indoor city, with expansive spaces and pedestrian-friendly areas.
🌆 The project is planned to connect with the future Dubai Creek Tower and is currently expected to open in 2028.
If delivered as planned, Dubai Square could become one of Dubai’s major new destinations for shopping, dining and entertainment.
⭐ Best for: 🛍️ Major shopping | 🍽️ Dining | 🎮 Entertainment | 🌆 Lifestyle experiences
Dubai has long been famous for mega-malls, but the next phase of retail development is increasingly focused on community convenience.
New residential areas need supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, gyms, cafés, salons, clinics and entertainment options close to home.
That is why several upcoming developments are located directly within or next to residential communities.
The trend is also moving towards mixed-use retail experiences.
This makes the modern Dubai mall less about simply visiting stores and more about spending time, meeting friends, dining, exercising and accessing everyday services.
The locations of these projects are particularly interesting.
The new retail pipeline stretches well beyond Downtown Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Road.
🏡 Nad Al Sheba is getting The Grand, while Sobha Hartland is adding its own community mall.
🌿 Liwan and The Villa are receiving new lifestyle destinations.
✈️ Dubai South is emerging as one of the biggest future retail growth areas.
🌳 Ghaf Woods is introducing a nature-focused retail concept.
🌊 Dubai Creek Harbour is preparing for the much larger Dubai Square.
For residents, this means the idea of a “shopping mall near me” is likely to become increasingly relevant across Dubai’s newer neighbourhoods.
If you want something happening soon, The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens is already beginning its phased opening.
For residents of Sobha Hartland, Sobha Mall is another major 2026 development to watch.
Those living around Liwan and The Villa can look forward to the two Le Meryeme destinations.
For the longer term, Dubai South has perhaps the most substantial retail pipeline, with South Bay Mall, the HAYAT community mall and the much larger Majid Al Futtaim development all planned for the area.
And for a major future destination, Dubai Square at Dubai Creek Harbour stands out.
Planning your next shopping trip in Dubai? 🛍️
MallFinder.ae helps shoppers discover malls, stores, restaurants, entertainment and retail destinations across the UAE.
🔎 Find a Mall — Discover shopping malls by location.
🛍️ Find Stores — Explore brands and stores before you visit.
🍽️ Find Restaurants — Discover dining options inside UAE malls.
📍 Explore Dubai Malls — Find shopping destinations across Dubai and nearby communities.
As Dubai’s retail landscape continues to expand, MallFinder.ae makes it easier to discover where to shop, where to eat and what’s new across the UAE.
Nine new malls and community retail destinations are currently highlighted in Dubai’s upcoming retail pipeline, ranging from neighbourhood malls to large-scale developments.
The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens began its phased opening on August 19, 2026.
The Grand, Sobha Mall and the two Le Meryeme developments are among the projects scheduled around 2026, although individual completion and opening timelines can change.
Dubai Square at Dubai Creek Harbour is one of the largest projects in the pipeline, with a planned area of approximately 2.6 million square metres.
Yes. Dubai South has several retail projects planned, including South Bay Mall, the HAYAT community mall and a future major mall forming part of a large mixed-use development with Majid Al Futtaim.
Dubai Square at Dubai Creek Harbour is currently expected to open in 2028, although development schedules can change.
Dubai’s next generation of malls is changing the way residents shop and spend their weekends.
From convenient neighbourhood destinations in Nad Al Sheba, Sobha Hartland, Liwan and The Villa to major future projects in Dubai South and Dubai Creek Harbour, the emirate is continuing to expand its retail offering alongside its growing residential communities.
For shoppers, that means more choices, shorter trips and increasingly diverse experiences combining 🛍️ retail, 🍽️ dining, 🎉 entertainment, 🏋️ fitness, 💆 wellness and 🏡 community life.
Keep checking MallFinder.ae for the latest Dubai mall openings, store launches, restaurant updates, mall directories and retail news across the UAE.
📌 Information and opening dates are based on publicly announced plans and may change as projects progress. This article has been independently written for MallFinder.ae.
