Daniel
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October 17, 2026
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5 min read
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The new malls in Dubai story has a clear headline. Skylight Mall, announced on 6 October 2026, brings more than 360 stores to Al Khail Road in 2027. The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens began its phased opening on 19 August 2026, and Emaar’s 2.6-million-square-metre Dubai Square is under construction for around 2028. Here is an honest, verified rundown of what is open and what is still a promise.
A “new mall” on this page means a mall that opened in 2026 or is confirmed by its developer for 2026 to 2028. We track each one’s real status: open now, under construction, or announced. If you want the classics that are already open, start with our shopping in Dubai guide.
Dubai Retail, part of Dubai Holding Asset Management, announced Skylight Mall on 6 October 2026 through the Dubai Media Office. It is a super-regional mall on Al Khail Road, planned for 2027, with 1.3 million sq ft of gross leasable area and more than 360 stores. It will serve Jumeirah Village Triangle, Jumeirah Islands and The Springs, and it becomes the 58th mall and lifestyle destination in Dubai Retail’s portfolio, the largest of the new malls in Dubai announced in 2026. Dubai Retail has not named any tenants yet, so treat any tenant list you see elsewhere as speculation. Read the official Dubai Retail announcement for the confirmed details.
Nine projects make the verified new malls in Dubai list. One table, no fluff: what each one is, where it sits, and whether you can visit it yet.
| Mall | Location | Size | Status on 17 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens | Nad Al Sheba | Community centre with Waitrose, Tasha’s, American Hospital | Open now; phased opening began 19 August 2026 |
| Skylight Mall | Al Khail Road | 1.3M sq ft, 360+ stores | Announced; opens 2027 |
| Dubai Square | Dubai Creek Harbour | 2.6M sq m mixed-use district | Under construction; about 2028 |
| Sobha Mall | Sobha Hartland | 339,000 sq ft built-up | Announced; 2026 opening window |
| Le Meryeme Mall Liwan | Wadi Al Safa 2 | 113,675 sq ft | Construction finished Q3 2026; opening date unconfirmed |
| Le Meryeme Mall The Villa | Wadi Al Safa 5 | 124,000 sq ft | Announced; late 2026 |
| South Bay Mall | Dubai South | About 200,000 sq ft | Announced; opening date unconfirmed |
| First Avenue Mall Jumeirah | Jumeirah | Community mall | Targeted September 2026; confirm before visiting |
| Ghaf Woods Mall | Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road | Forest-integrated, by Majid Al Futtaim | Announced; opening date unconfirmed |
They are not new malls in Dubai, but the two biggest upgrades shape the same story. Emaar’s AED 1.5 billion Dubai Mall expansion adds 240 luxury stores and dining outlets; the new The District wing is already open, and the Grand Drive wing targets the second half of 2028. Mall of the Emirates is going through an AED 5 billion makeover with about 100 new stores, rolling out in phases through 2026 and 2027. If either is on your itinerary, check the latest Emaar project updates before you plan around a specific opening.
Some guides list “Villa Square” in Wadi Al Safa 5 and “Le Meryeme Mall The Villa” as two separate malls. They are the same project: 124,000 sq ft, by KeyMavens Group. The same applies to “Liwan Mall” and “Le Meryeme Mall Liwan”, two names for one of the new malls in Dubai. Two more corrections. The AED 180 billion figure attached to Dubai Square is the cost of the whole Dubai Creek Harbour district (11 million sq m), not the mall alone, according to Emaar’s own release. And “Palm Jebel Ali Mall”, mentioned by one smaller guide with a 2025 to 2026 debut, has no developer confirmation we could verify, so we left it off the list.
Only two of the new malls in Dubai on the list are visitable today. The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens is open and trading, anchored by the neighbourhood’s first Waitrose. At Dubai Mall, the new The District wing is open while the Grand Drive expansion works toward the second half of 2028. If you would rather shop at malls that are fully open today, read our Dubai Hills Mall guide, Mirdif Avenue Mall or Silicon Central Mall. Planning the whole trip? Start with our Dubai travel guide.
The pattern is hard to miss. The 2026 pipeline is mostly smaller community and neighbourhood malls, not another giant enclosed box. Developers are chasing daily life: groceries, dining, clinics and fitness inside the community. The Grand opened with a Waitrose and an American Hospital branch, not a department store. Skylight Mall and Dubai Square are the two big exceptions, and both are framed as mixed lifestyle destinations rather than pure retail. For shoppers, that means the new malls in Dubai are worth watching even if you never set foot in a mega-mall.
Quick answers:
When will Dubai Square open? Emaar says about three years from December 2025, so this one of the new malls in Dubai lands around 2028. It is under construction now. The drive-through design is confirmed; tenant names are not.
What is the biggest new mall coming to Dubai? By area, Dubai Square, a 2.6-million-square-metre mixed-use district. By store count in a single 2027 opening, Skylight Mall, with more than 360 stores.
Which new malls can I visit right now? The Grand at Nad Al Sheba Gardens (phased opening since August 2026) and The District wing of Dubai Mall. Everything else on the list is still under construction or announced.
Is Skylight Mall open? No. It was announced on 6 October 2026 and is planned to open in 2027 on Al Khail Road. No tenant list has been published yet.
Written by
Daniel
Daniel is the travel writer behind Go Dubai Now, covering Dubai's attractions, parks, restaurants and practical travel topics. Every guide is researched against official sources — government portals, operator websites and current local listings — and updated regularly so timings, prices and rules stay accurate. His goal is simple: answer the exact questions travelers ask before they go, with no fluff and no outdated information.
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