With it’s 5 300 shops and about 100 cafes and restaurants, the Deira Islands Night Souk is going to add a modern touch to a traditional Arabic night market and provide a shopping and entertaining destination not only for the tourists, but for the residents as well. Located on Deira Islands waterfront next to the Deira Mall, within walking distance from the islands’ residential area, it will be easily accessible both by road and by water. More than 3 000 parking places will be available for the visitors, as well as an adjoining marina.
As for the layout, the 1,9 km long quayside will feature a promenade with dining outlets facing the waterfront and the trading grounds behind them. The whole area, having 4,5 million square feet (circa 420 000 square meters) of gross leasable space, will be divided into 4 zones (“villages”). Each village will include a set of pavilions with the souk outlets inside. These outlets will be more or less similar in size and offer a wide variety of products and services — just like in any traditional souk. The market will only operate after sunset and until after midnight; considering this, no special air conditioning is planned – instead, the pavilions’ design itself will ensure intense air movement and keep the temperature at comfortable levels.
According to Ali Rashid Lootah, chairman of Nakheel, the company responsible for the development of Deira Islands, by February 2018 all of the souk’s outlets have already been leased.
