Official Name: | Dubai Festival City |
Native Name: | دبي فستيفال سيتي |
Type: | Mixed-use development |
Image Blank Emblem: | Dubai Festival City.svg |
Blank Emblem Size: | 120px |
Pushpin Map: | Dubai#United Arab Emirates |
Coordinates: | 25.2217°N 55.3525°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | United Arab Emirates |
Subdivision Type1: | Emirate |
Subdivision Name1: | Emirate of Dubai |
Subdivision Type2: | City |
Subdivision Name2: | Dubai |
Area Total Ha: | 526 |
Population Total: | 77,000[1] |
Established Title: | Inception |
Established Date: | 2003 |
Timezone: | UAE |
Utc Offset: | +4 |
Dubai Festival City (ar|دبي فستيفال سيتي), also known as Al Kheeran (ar|الخيران), is a large residential, business and entertainment development in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, owned by Al-Futtaim Group. Administratively, it is part of Sector 4 and is located in the north-central area of Dubai.
Dubai Festival City is the Middle East's largest mixed-use development: elements for work, living, and leisure will be contained within the project. Once completed, Festival City will comprise a series of residential communities, numerous hotels, malls, a golf course and other entertainment sites, and a full suite of public services, including schools.
Construction of the development, which was undertaken by Al Futtaim Carillion,[2] began in 2003 and was expected to take 12 years. The project spans 3.8km (02.4miles) of water frontage on the eastern bank of Dubai Creek and is 2km (01miles) from Dubai International Airport. As of mid-2006, investments in the project had exceeded 11 billion AED (3 billion USD).[3]
The first phase of construction comprised over 14500m² of façade roofs designed and built by Austrian specialist contractor Waagner Biro,[4] mainly over the crescent mall, festival square, oval court and knuckle. Within the development, Waagner Biro also constructed seven pavilions. When completed, the development will cover a total area of 526ha.[5]
The development includes two hotels including the InterContinental Dubai Festival City and a long-term stay serviced apartment complex, all managed by InterContinental Hotels Group. In July 2009, InterContinental took over management of the Al Badia Golf Course. Developments include the 400-room Four Seasons Hotel Dubai, but construction of both hotels was put on hold in January 2009 due to the global financial crisis of 2008–2009.[6]
See main article: Dubai Festival City Mall. The Festival Waterfront Centre is a shopping centre which includes IKEA, Carrefour (formerly a HyperPanda supermarket, the first hypermarket outside of Saudi Arabia[7]), and Ace Hardware.[8] Robinsons Department Store from Singapore opened inside Dubai Festival City Mall in March 2017.[9]
There is an Abra boat service across Dubai Creek between the Dubai Festival City Mall and the Al Jaddaf Marine Station, operated by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), close to the Dubai Creek metro station on the Green Line of the Dubai Metro.[10] [11]
A Dubai Festival City metro station on the Blue Line of the Dubai Metro is planned.[12]