Dubai hosts world’s largest-ever mall opening
The Dubai Mall, the world's largest-ever mall opening, with close to 600 retailers, is now trading.
Besides its many retail attractions including the Middle East debut of several global brands such as Waitrose and Hamleys, The Dubai Mall has varied lifestyle and leisure offerings including a Gold Souk; the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink; the Grove, an indoor-outdoor themed streetscape; the region's first SEGA indoor theme park; KidZania®, a 7,500 metre2 children's 'edu-tainment' centre; a 22-screen Cineplex, the largest in Dubai; and the Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre.
The Dubai Mall is the flagship development of Emaar Malls Group, the shopping malls subsidiary of global property developer Emaar Properties. When fully operational, it will have over 1,200 stores.
The Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre features the 'world's largest acrylic panel'.
Measuring 32.88 metres wide x 8.3 metres high x 750 mm thick and weighing 245,614 kilograms, the viewing panel at Dubai Aquarium surpasses the current Guinness World Record holder, Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan.
The Dubai Aquarium viewing panel dimensions were set at the limit of production abilities by major acrylic manufacturers when it was commissioned. Thus, its Guinness World Record is set to stay until industry-approved manufacturing capabilities are redrawn to enable the production of bigger panels.
At 750 mm thick, the acrylic viewing panel is built to withstand the enormous pressure of 10 million litres of water used in the aquarium, but transparent to give visitors clear views of the 33,000 plus marine animals on display.
Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre has been developed and is operated by Living and Leisure Australia subsidiary the Oceanis Australia Group.
Images: The entrance to the Dubai Mall (top) and the Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre (below).
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