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The concept
of shopping malls is fairly new in Sharjah, although
several malls have opened during 2001 and early 2002.
Many large showrooms as well as small centers are
dotted around the city selling various products.
By 2005, Sharjah is expected to rank third after Dubai
and Doha in terms of shopping center space per capita
at around 13 sq.ft., per person - overtaking even Abu
Dhabi, according to a study by a UK based
organization.
The survey said Sharjah shopping centers will be
creating a total of about 355,000 square meters of
Gross Leaseable Area within three years.
Sharjah's new shopping malls include the 500,000 sq.
ft. Dh 400 million Sahara Center, 400,000 sq. ft.
Sharjah Mega Mall and Majid Al Futtaim's City Center.
The survey said however, time will tell whether
Sharjah can sustain occupancy of these malls without
having to attract shoppers from outside the emirate.
'The test will be on whether Sharjah malls can
outperform well entrenched malls in Dubai,' the study
said.
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