Dubai Marina Mall

Dubai Marina Mall stands on the edge of the Dubai Marina, one of the city's main residential and leisure districts, near Jumeirah Beach Residence and Sheikh Zayed Road. It was developed by Emaar and opened in 2008. It is named for its position on the marina waterfront.

The mall is smaller than the giant malls of Downtown and Al Barsha, which gives it a more relaxed, neighbourhood feel. It serves the residents of the marina towers as well as visitors staying in nearby hotels.

It has four levels with about 36,000 square metres of space, about 140 stores and more than 20 places to eat. Shops include fashion brands, a department store, a supermarket and home and lifestyle stores. There is a multiplex cinema, a children's play area and a food court. Restaurants on the ground level open onto the Dubai Marina Walk, where tables face the yachts and the towers. The five-star JW Marriott Hotel Marina is connected to the mall.

From the mall, the marina promenade leads on foot to JBR beach and The Walk, and dhow dinner cruises and boat tours leave from nearby jetties.

Entry is free and the mall opens daily from morning until late evening. Dubai Marina Mall tram stop is outside, and DMCC and Sobha Realty metro stations on the Red Line are a short walk or tram ride away.

What is there for children? The mall has a play area and runs family events through the year, from character shows and indoor beach parties with carnival games to craft days in the Dome Atrium and snow-themed decor in December. In winter, kiosks set up along the marina walk in front of the mall.

The surrounding Dubai Marina district is home to more than 120,000 people in towers and villas, so the mall works much like a town centre, and weekday mornings are calm. Evenings and weekends bring diners to the waterfront terraces.