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Finishing touches are being made to the new City Centre complex in Bahrain as excited shoppers eagerly wait for an array of new outlets to the kingdom to open their doors.
The mighty mall costing BD250 million is set for a 'soft opening' with Carrefour hypermarket and 53 outlets, including H&M, Balmain and Steve Madden, welcoming customers within days of each other in September.
Shortly afterwards one of the poshest stores in town - Saks Fifth Avenue - will open offering an exclusive club which will allow shoppers the opportunity to book exclusively and view collections while enjoying refreshments.
Customers will be able to shop like a real star in a private area complete with plush sitting room, a viewing area and private dressing rooms.
'Access to the Fifth Avenue Club is not restricted, it simply caters to people who have a huge shopping list or are looking for their bridal dress and don't want to go through our store looking for particular items.
'So we offer a comfortable environment where the designer-wear of over 200 brands will come to the customer,' said Sherna Nihalani, the store's public relations officer.
Scaffolding, make-shift elevators and cranes are swiftly disappearing from outside the complex although building will continue for several months as the Middle East's first indoor-outdoor water park is being completed for a planned opening in the spring of 2009.
With 70 per cent of the pool deck area planned indoors and 30 per cent outdoors, the water park is themed against a sub-tropical paradise backdrop and will be well-equipped with temperature controlled pools to operate all year around.
Magic Planet - an indoor amusement park featuring several international award-winning rides and games including 10-pin bowling alley, bumper cars, pool and billiards tables and a brand new ride called Foam Factory - and a 20-screen Cineplex for movie buffs are also under construction.
Shahram Shamsaee, vice-president of MAF Shopping Malls, said: 'With Bahrain City Centre, we wanted to introduce another unique entertainment element similar to Ski Dubai to the region.
'The water park will be one such striking feature that will attract a lot of attention and footfall to the kingdom.'
In recent days, commuters on Khalifa bin Salman Highway and those travelling around Seef district have been amazed by the daily changes in the exterior of the expansive City Centre structure as construction workers clamour to put finishing touches to ready the part of the building that is due to open its doors to the kingdom's eagerly awaiting public.
There is a sense of urgency and adrenaline is high among the management of the City Centre complex who are working towards a countdown to opening. With a history of introducing unique projects in the Middle East, Bahrain City Centre is Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Group's premiere project on the island and boasts being the largest integrated shopping and leisure destination in Bahrain.
New outlets will continue to open on a weekly basis after the soft opening leading up to most of the 350 outlets being ready for business by the time of the grand opening in November or December.
'A major celebration by local and international artists is planned for the grand opening before the end of the year,' said a spokesman.
'What makes City Centre different from all other malls in Bahrain is the fact that it will offer many 'firsts' on the island in terms of scope, hospitality, entertainment and retail.'
City Centre will stretch over three levels with a gross built-up area of almost half a million square metres and 350 retail outlets with a total of 47 food and beverage outlets.
A variety of flagship stores, 55 per cent of which will be new to Bahrain, will add a new dimension to quality shopping on the island.
Two hotels, a five-star managed by Kempinski and a four-star are other major features of the complex which are in the pipeline.
