The vast Dubai Mall shopping centre is finally set to open for business on Tuesday but the success of the 20-billion-dollar project is far from certain amid the global economic crisis.
The mall will be one of the world's largest with 1,200 shops, four times as many as the new Westfield centre in London, and it will be a tough call for the owners to meet their target of 30 million visitors in the first year.
Dubai Mall is situated at the foot of the Burj Dubai -- already the tallest building on earth at around 700 meters (yards) and still under construction.
The mall is scheduled to house branches of some of the world's best known retail chains, such as Marks and Spencer, Galeries Lafayette and even Bloomingdales, which has never before had stores outside the United States.
[source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20081103/tls-finance-banking-uae-retail-tourism-aeafa1b.html]
