Downtown Dubai or The Dubai Downtown is a large-scale, mixed-use complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was developed by Emaar Properties. Before 2000 this place was called Umm Al Tarif, later it’s developed as the advanced facilities city center of Dubai. It is home to some of the city’s most notable landmarks, including Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall, and The Dubai Fountain. It covers an area of 2 square kilometers, at an estimated cost of US$20 billion (Dh73 billion. The development is situated along Sheikh Zayed Road, across from Al Wasl locality on the northwest. Downtown Dubai offers a range of high-end hotels such as Address Downtown,Address Skyviews, Vida Downtown, Al Manzil Downtown, as well as attractions such as a luxury Arabian market, Souk Al Bahar and a 3.5 km-long strip of restaurants and cafes on Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Boulevard. Souk Al Bahar has over 100 shops and over 20 restaurants, cafes and lounges adjacent to the Dubai Fountains.
Many people prefer Downtown area in Dubai just to be close to all entertainment places, shopping malls, business centers and most importantly to be right in the center of Dubai which takes 15-25 min to drive wherever you want to go. Property prices start from AED1.8M(495.000USD) in Downtown Dubai up to 100-150M for large penthouses.
Burj Khalifa is the centerpiece of The Dubai Downtown. At 828 meters, it is the tallest building in the world and the tallest man-made structure ever built. Construction began on 21 September 2004, and was completed and ready for occupancy by 4 January 2010. The total cost of Burj Khalifa is approximately$1.5 billion. In addition to being the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa holds six other world records, including ‘tallest free-standing structure in the world’, ‘elevator with the longest running distance in the world’ and ‘highest number of story’s in the world.
The Dubai Mall is the world’s second largest shopping mall by total area. It is the home of 1,300 stores in addition to numerous attractions, including an Olympic-size ice rink, an aquarium and a water zoo. In March 2018, the owner of The Dubai Mall, Emaar Properties, opened an entertainment complex by the name of VR Park, which blends augmented reality and virtual reality (VR).Access to the mall is provided via Doha Street, rebuilt as a double-decker road in April 2009. The Dubai Mall opened on November 4, 2008, with about more than 1,200 retailers. The Dubai Mall is the most visited retail destination in the world approximately over 105 Million in 2023.
In March 2018, Emaar Malls unveiled a new extension of The Dubai Mall dedicated to fashion and luxury shopping. The 440,000-square-foot Fashion Avenue offers over 150 prestigious brands, including Burberry, Cartier, Miu Miu, Prada, Gucci, Mikimoto, Faberge, Valentino, Richard Mille etc.
Dubai Fountain At the center of Downtown Dubai and at a cost of AED 800 million (US$217 million), The Dubai Fountain is the largest choreographed system in the world. It was designed by WET Design, the California-based company responsible for the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel Lake in Las Vegas. Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 50 colored projectors, it is 275 m (902 ft) long and able to shoot water 150 m (490 ft) into the air, accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music. On 26 October 2008, Emaar announced, based on results of a naming contest, the fountain would be named the Dubai Fountain.