Dubai Festival City
Dubai Festival City , also known as Al Kheeran, is a large-scale mixed-use waterfront development on the eastern bank of Dubai Creek. Developed by Al-Futtaim Real Estate, the project spans 5.2 million square metres and functions as a self-contained "city-within-a-city."
It has residential and commercial properties, including Marsa Plaza, Al Badia Residences, Al Badia Hillside, Al Badia Living, the Dubai Festival City Mall with over 400 outlets, an IHG hotel complex with over 1,600 rooms, a marina, and a golf course. Other features include the IMAGINE light and water show, the BOUNCE-X Freestyle Terrain Park, Market Island, and a 3.3 km waterfront promenade. Located two kilometres from Dubai International Airport, it is one of the largest privately developed projects in the Middle East.
History
Conception and initial phases (2003–2007)
Dubai Festival City was announced in the early 2000s, and construction began in 2003, with Al-Futtaim Carillion as the main contractor. The first phase opened in late 2005 with the Festival Power Centre, featuring the UAE's largest IKEA store.In March 2007, the Festival Waterfront Centre, the main retail and entertainment complex, was officially opened. It included cinemas, bowling alleys, and food courts.
Hotel openings (2007–2009)
In the latter part of the 2000s, InterContinental Hotels Group launched a hotel cluster that included the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City, and InterContinental Residence Suites.Refurbishment and later developments (2010–present)
In 2015, Al-Futtaim invested AED 1.5 billion into an expansion and refurbishment of Dubai Festival City Mall. A key part of this expansion was the launch of the IMAGINE show at Festival Bay in December 2016.The mall's new wing opened in 2017, anchored by Robinsons department store, which closed in 2021.