NEWS BRIEF & What’s New?

News Brief

New 15,000sqft dining destination to open at ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai’s DIFC

A new massive 15,000 square foot dining and entertainment destination is set to come up at the recently opened ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai’s DIF. ICD Brookfield has signed a pre-let agreement with Dubai-based food and

The Pointe, Dubai’s premier lifestyle and dining destination by Nakheel Malls, launched the world’s largest fountain. ‘The Palm Fountain’, Palm Jumeirah’s latest waterfront attraction, will attempt to break a Guinness World Records™ (GWR) title on Thursday, 22 October during its inaugural launch event, and the public is invited to witness the celebration.

Spread over 14,000 sqft of seawater, the fountain’s super shooter will stand tall at 105 metres and come alive with over 3,000 LED lights. The attraction is the only multicoloured fountain in Dubai and is a celebration of Dubai’s resurgence and ambition to aim for the sky. On the launching day, visitors of The Pointe were

beverage company Bull&Roo Hospitality Investments for the concept.

The value of the deal was not disclosed. The new destination, called The Guild, will feature eight different homegrown brands. It is slated to open in 2021. invited to enjoy an entire day of festivities, with all-day events and competitions from The Pointe’s restaurants and, starting at 4pm, an array of live entertainment including multiple DJ sets, dance shows, performers, a magical fireworks show.

Omar Khoory, Managing Director, Nakheel Malls, said: “Nakheel Malls is proud to launch The Palm Fountain, a celebration of Dubai’s resilience and building on the expanding portfolio of iconic attractions on Palm Jumeirah. As pioneers of retail and lifestyle destinations in Dubai, the launch of The Palm Fountain is a testament to our commitment to support retailers and push boundaries to provide our customers with unique “We are creating a new dining concept, unlike any other in Dubai, and the team is gearing up to launch an all-encompassing experience,” said Tom Arnel, Managing Director of Bull&Roo.

Located in the DIFC, ICD Brookfield Place is a 1.1 million sqft office and retail complex, designed by architects Foster & Partners. The property features four acres of dining, retail and community space including a public area for arts and events along with an exclusive private member’s club, The Arts Club from London. The 53-storey project opened its doors to the public and a first wave of tenants last month, including Julius Baer, Natixis, Latham & Watkins, and Akin Gump.

ICD Brookfield is a joint venture partnership between Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and Brookfield Asset Management. Source: Gulf Business

World’s Largest Fountain Launched at The Pointe

(https://bit.ly/2FImaWA) experiences. We look forward to the inspiration this will bring customers at The Pointe, residents of Palm Jumeirah, our retailers, tourists, and the wider community”.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “The Palm Fountain is yet another incredible addition to Dubai’s list of world-famous landmarks and is sure to be a big draw among residents and visitors alike. Its launch further cements the city’s status as a must-visit destination where guests from around the world can experience the best sights and sounds as well as unrivalled retail and tourist spaces. The Pointe’s standing as one of Dubai’s premier dining and leisure destinations has been further elevated with the unveiling of this record-breaking new attraction.”

The Palm Fountain will have 20 bespoke shows with five different shows running daily between sunset to midnight (7pm to 12am) while swaying to an array of popular songs including Khaleeji, pop, classic, international and more. Each show will last for three minutes and will be performed every 30 minutes. Here’s the Youtube video. https://bit.ly/3mg9w0w

COMMUNITY MALL AL KHAWANEEJ WALK OPENS IN DUBAI

New Community Mall Al Khawaneej Walk has opened its doors, hosting a string of homegrown and international brands for residents and visitors in the Al Khawaneej neighbourhood. The architecture of the mall embodies that of an agricultural greenhouse, blending rustic and modern design elements to offer visitors a vibrant social hive.

Occupying both indoor and alfresco spaces, the venue also holds an 18-metretall rustic windmill and Last Exit Al Khawaneej, Dubai’s food truck destination. Al Khawaneej Walk brings new retail, F&B, Leisure and Entertainment choices, including the Géant Hypermarket, the American Hospital Clinic and a new warehouse gym with a ladies-only section and a 25-metre swimming pool. It also

Organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai said they aim to spread a message of hope amid adversity ahead of the fair opening on October 1 next year. With exactly a year to go until the Expo begins, fresh ideas on health, connectivity and travel will be shared to help people reconnect amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisers said they aim to convey the spirit of collaboration that will bring 192 countries together on the Dubai South site for the first Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

“Our World Expo has a mission to inspire hope, and in the coming weeks we will begin to share new details and ideas about space, health and wellness, travel and connectivity and other subjects that sit at the heart of this Expo,” said Reem Al Hashemy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau.

New images showing progress at the site were released to reflect optimism about the future. Ms Al Hashemy thanked international participants and state entities for remaining committed to delivering the event.

“The journey has been worth it, and in 365 days we will share our excitement and our passion with millions.” offers the UAE’s largest Roxy Cinemas for movie bluffs.

Local fashion and F&B brands such as Wanderlust, Surreal and Elyah Fashion, along with spas and salons have too found space in the Al Khawaneej Walk mall. Youngsters can enjoy at Kidoos, an interactive and supervised indoor play area, or at The Arcade by Hub Zero, a gaming zone offering a range of PC games, simulators, virtual reality (VR) experiences and other play zones.

All points of entry and exit are equipped with thermal scanners, while all facilities adhere to the stipulated hygiene and safety regulations. Al Khawaneej Walk is open from 10am until 10pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and from 10am

Construction of the country pavilions will be finalised by the end of the year and work over the last few months has been focused on landscaping and readying Expo-owned structures.

“Our leadership has spared no effort, guided us, and provided all resources to ensure that our World Expo will be a true expression of the UAE’s values, reflecting its ambition to build a better future for us, the region and the world – a future of which coming generations will be proud,” Ms Al Hashemy said.

until midnight from Thursday to Saturday.

Expo 2020 Dubai Sends Message of Resilience as 1-year Countdown Begins

Source: Gulf Business (https://bit.ly/2GiIki4)

The World Expo will run from October 1 to March 31 with themes that aim to inspire visitors to alter the way they think and live.

Businesses, educational institutions and governments will showcase projects that will highlight solutions to resolve pressing global challenges in sectors from energy, sustainability, agriculture and health.Source: The National (https://bit. ly/34j7OE8)

News Brief

Modon Set to Open Abu Dhabi Leisure Waterfront Community

UAE-based Modon Properties will soon be opening up its Hudayriat Recreational waterfront community, located within the 3,000-hectare Hudayriat Island, southwest of the Abu Dhabi main island. The move comes following a directive from HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to open the development for the public within a month. Sheikh Mohamed visited the Al Hudayriat Project site yesterday (October 14), during which, he was shown around the facilities of the key entertainment project, being developed by Modon Properties, a subsidiary of ADQ that specialises in developing vibrant and sustainable residential, in collaboration with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince was shown around 10 leisure facilities as part of the project, including the ‘Stars Gate’ which provides a unique destination for camping; ‘321 Sports Village’, which encompasses sports playgrounds and jogging and cycling tracks; ‘Challenge Village’; and ‘Hudayriat Heritage Walk’ which extends along the waterfront and provides the visitors with a cultural background of the island and the history

SEVEN’s head of attractions, Damien Latham, has shared exclusive updates including the locations of the company’s two theme parks in Saudi Arabia during the first ever blooloop V-Expo.

Latham spoke about creating enduring entertainment destinations in Saudi Arabia, which is working on a host of attractions as part of Vision 2030. This aims to diversify the economy in order to reduce the country’s reliance on oil.

SEVEN, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is developing a world-class entertainment ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. “SEVEN, and other entities under the PIF banner, are clearly all focused on that goal of developing entertainment infrastructure and bringing in world-class attractions to the Kingdom,” said Latham.

of pearl diving in the UAE. The tour also covered the project’s ‘Marsana’, which represents the waterfront marine located in the heart of the project and includes a lineup of restaurants, an ice rink, and a kids waterpark.

The Hudayriat Recreational Project is Modon’s second leisure destination after Jubail Mangrove Park announced late last year by Modon Properties as part of a series of entertainment schemes aimed at representing a shift in the leisure offerings within the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mohamed underlined Abu Dhabi’s determination to develop inclusive and unique environmental projects and increase green spaces

SEVEN Shares Exclusive Updates on Theme Parks in Saudi Arabia

across the emirate in a way that ensures

“It’s 20 entertainment complexes across 14 cities and 50 cinemas, in our partnership with AMC cinemas, and two major theme parks. We are currently at a more advanced stage of design with our entertainment complexes here in Riyadh,” continued Latham, who also discussed IP.

“We are talking to a number of global IPs that are interested in coming into the Kingdom and working with us, and we’ll continue to extend that invitation to others. The sheer amount of entertainment that we’d like to bring in, we’re inviting a multitude of different IP partners to begin those discussions and really start to evolve something and create something new and unique. I’m hoping that within the early part of next year, we will be able to make some key announcements there,” said Latham. a healthier lifestyle for its community in addition to boosting social bonds, attracting visitors and tourists and turning the emirate into a haven for ecotourism. “Al Hudayriat project and other similar developments represent a qualitative addition that reinforces Abu Dhabi’s status on the global tourist map,” Sheikh Mohamed added. Department of Municipalities and Transport Chairman Falah Mohamed Al Ahbabi said: “In line with the directives of our wise leadership, we take pride in contributing to introducing this valuable addition to Abu Dhabi’s tourist and leisure offerings. We will continue at the Department to provide a sustainable environment for the future.” Copyright 2020 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info)..

“When you’re in 14 different cities, you’ve got the potential there, we think, to create more than 22,000 jobs across KSA.” SEVEN theme parks located in Dammam and Abha. Source: Blooloop (https://bit. ly/316dUHl)

What’s New?

4 Fashion Brands with SoHo Stores on the Future of the NYC Shopping District Amazon Tests Palm Biometrics for Retail Transactions Walmart Sends COVID-19 Tests Flying by Drone

SoHo, long one of New York’s most desirable retail hubs, has been undergoing a transformation since the pandemic began. For years, it’s been the go-to neighborhood for hip, mostly-online brands looking to make the most impact in brick-and-mortar with the fewest number of stores. It’s not uncommon for brands to have only a single store in SoHo and nowhere else. But SoHo was also strongly reliant on tourist foot traffic, something that has largely dried up and likely won’t return in full force for a while. Source: Glossy.co (Read More: https://bit.ly/352ZQzy) Zipline to launch on-demand deliveries of healthand-wellness products, first near the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Now, Walmart has its sights set on making COVID-19 testing easier in partnership with Quest Diagnostics and DroneUp. The retailer is piloting drone delivery of at-home COVID-19 selfcollection kits, an innovative new way to provide additional, and contactless, testing options. Trial deliveries of collection kits in North Las Vegas start today, and those in Cheektowaga, New York, start in early October. Source: Progressive Grocer (Read More: https://bit.ly/37bGXgy)

Bed Bath & Beyond Sheds Some Retail

Weight

Talk to the hand — that silly phrase could take on new meaning in food and other forms of retail, thanks to Amazon’s latest effort involving biometrics. According to Dilip Kumar, the company’s VP, physical retail and technology, Amazon One “is a fast, convenient, contactless way for people to use their palm to make everyday activities like paying at a store, presenting a loyalty card, entering a location like a stadium or badging into work more effortless. The service is designed to be highly secure and uses custom-built algorithms and hardware to create a person’s unique palm signature.” Source: Progressive Grocer (Read More: https:// bit.ly/37bGgns)

Bed Bath & Beyond will sell its Christmas Tree Shops retail banner, its institutional Linen Holdings business and a distribution center located in Florence, New Jersey. The retailer, in the midst of an omnichannel push that also included job cuts, said it expects to generate approximately $250 million in aggregate from the monetization of these assets as it continues to optimize its portfolio, potentially including the sale of additional non-core assets, to further increase its financial strength and enhance shareholder value. President & CEO, Mark Tritton said, “Customers are responding well to the introduction of our new omni-always services, and we will continue to invest in our digital-first experience with a customer-inspired assortment that makes it easy to feel at home with Bed Bath & Beyond.” Source: Retail Leader (Read More: https://bit.ly/343sBgi)

Levi’s Opening New Stores, but Trans-

forming the Experience

Walmart has really stepped up its investment in drone delivery in the past month. First, the retailer launched a pilot in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with Flytrex to deliver grocery and essential items. Then, Walmart teamed with

Levi Strauss & Co. is opening stores, at a time when other retailers are closing doors, but the retailer is also investing in transforming the store experience and infusing AI and data analytics tech into its operations. In the U.S., Levi’s opened its first new NextGen store in North America last month at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA, offering customization techniques and enhanced digital features to drive storytelling and sales. The apparel retailer has opened more than 60 doors year-to-date, although primarily internationally, and has added another 85 doors from organic acquisitions. Looking ahead, Levi’s plans to open around 100 smaller footprint stores in the U.S., up from 30, some of which will be NextGen stores. Source: RIS News (Read More: https://bit.ly/3k1U33j)

Post-COVID Rebound Seen Pushing Uniqlo Owner to Record Profit by 2021

TOKYO -- Japan’s Fast Retailing, which operates the Uniqlo chain, said Thursday it expects its earnings to hit a record high in the fiscal year ending in August 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic dragged down numbers this year. The company expects its net profit to surge by 82% year-on-year to a historical high of 165 billion yen ($1.57 billion) in the year ending in August, surpassing a previous high of 162 billion yen in fiscal 2019. It expects sales to reach 2.2 trillion yen in the fiscal year ending next August, just below the peak of 2.29 trillion yen achieved in fiscal 2019. Source: Nikkei Asia (Read More: https://s.nikkei.com/3lUD9o1)

Kuwait’s Delivery App Talabat to Start Operations in Erbil

Delivery app Talabat, owned and operated by German Delivery Hero, will start its operations in Erbil, the Kurdistan region’s capital, early next year. The app, launched in Kuwait in 2004, is already present in Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan, and has plans to expand further, starting in Erbil, before moving on to Federal Iraq later in the year. Talabat CEO Tomaso Rodriguez said: “Iraq is a country with a definite love of food, which is why we cannot wait to enter the market. We’re excited to enable that rich culinary heritage to be shared to the broader community by further developing the online delivery experience for customers, and partnering with local restaurants to fuel their growth through our platform, as well as creating employment opportunities for local talent across our operations. Source: Zawya (Read More: https://bit.ly/37ev0GG)

Brick and Click: UAE Food-tech Kaykroo Plans GCC Expansion

The food and beverage industry has been among the hardest hit by COVID-19, as diners have stayed away from restaurants due to movement restrictions, but foodtech company kaykroo is shifting to a different concept. Kaykroo, which has announced its official launch of four new brands, has fulfilled 1 million orders since the start of 2020 and is planning to expand across the GCC after raising $4 million in pre-Series A funding. Jihad El-Eit, Founder & CEO of kaykroo, said: “For many, 2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges. For us, it was the year of reinvention. The high demand we have witnessed since the start of the year, with more than one million orders fulfilled by our existing brands, proves that it is now more important than ever for our customers to be able to enjoy the food they love, anywhere and at any time.” Source: Zaway (Read More: https:// bit.ly/3lPZbZ0)

Saudi Wealth Fund Explores Investing in Grocer Lulu

Saudi Arabia’s $360 billion sovereign wealth fund is exploring a potential investment in Lulu Group International, which runs one of the Middle East’s largest hypermarket chains, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is considering buying a minority stake in the retailer, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information private. Representatives for Lulu and PIF declined to comment. The talks were first reported by Reuters on Wednesday. Source: Arabian Business (Read More: https://bit. ly/2FEFnbD)

Emaar Misr Launches 2nd Phase of Cairo Gate Project in Sheikh Zayed

Emaar Misr announced that the foundation stone of its Cairo Gate project, located in the west Cairo district of Sheikh Zayed, has been laid. The Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony coincided with the celebration of the launch of the project’s second phase. Cairo Gate is Emaar Misr’s first project in west Cairo, spanning an area of 133 feddans in the heart of Sheikh Zayed, with investments amounting to EGP 11.5bn. Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar Properties, said, “Despite the harsh circumstances faced by the global economy during the past few months, Emaar Misr has a solid management basis, and it always sets up scenarios for various risks along with plans on how to tackle them. The Cairo Gate project will be the window which Emaar will open for the world to see the beauty of this rich area, located in close proximity to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids, and the vital business areas in Cairo and Alexandria”. Source: Daily News Egypt (Read More: https:// bit.ly/2T2vYOb)

KidZania Reopening Six More Global Attractions

KidZania has announced that six more facilities are ready to welcome visitors, including KidZania Bangkok, KidZania Abu Dhabi, KidZania Santa Fe and KidZania London. Also joining the 11 KidZania attractions that have reopened since April 2020 are KidZania Guadalajara and KidZania Cuicuilco. KidZania Bangkok reopened on September 15. Its main objective is to ensure that the ‘new normal’ doesn’t affect the entertaining and educational experience of KidZania.

KidZania Abu Dhabi, which reopened on September 26, was granted a permit to reopen following a thorough analysis of the actions taken by the facility at Yas Mall. It is operating with a maximum capacity of 660 people. The company has 27 locations in 20 countries, and is developing 10 more attractions in markets including the US, Indonesia, South Africa. Source: Blooloop Read More: https://bit. ly/31lEQDc)

Walmart CEO says TikTok Deal Would help make social media more shoppable

Walmart CEO, Doug McMillon, said that the retailer wants to own part of popular video app TikTok because it sees social media as a huge business opportunity and a powerful way to reach customers. In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” he said Walmart sees TikTok as a “discovery opportunity” for consumers to find merchandise they want to buy. Walmart has tentatively agreed to a purchase 7.5% stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations, and McMillon would serve as one of the five board members of the newly created company — but the deal must still get government approval. As part of the business transaction with TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, Oracle would become TikTok’s cloud provider and a minority investor with a 12.5% stake. Source: CNBC (Read More: https://cnb.cx/3lXuwck)

Masdar and Miral to Develop Solar project at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi

Masdar, a leading renewable energy company, has signed an agreement with Miral to develop Abu Dhabi’s largest rooftop solar photovoltaic project at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. The project will provide an estimated 16,000 solar modules across the theme park’s roof area of 36,000 square metres and will produce nearly 40 percent of its annual energy demand. Masdar will provide a full turnkey solution for the 7-megawatt peak (MWp) project, including design, construction, operation and maintenance. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said “buildingrelated emissions contribute almost 55 percent of global electricity demand”. “We are proud to be supporting Abu Dhabi’s 2030 energy efficiency strategy to reduce overall electricity consumption by 22 percent and we look forward to leveraging our energy services experience to support Miral’s efforts of implementing energy efficient solutions across its destinations and attractions.” Source: Blooloop (Read More: https://bit.ly/3kbHUJr)

IKEA to Open Online Store First in PH

IKEA, the Swedish-owned home furnishing retailer, will open first its online store in the Philippines months before the physical store in the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City opens next year. “The company is bringing Swedish home furnishings and meatballs to millions more people in the coming year as it enters both Mexico and the Philippines, with web shops opening up months before the physical stores in both countries,” the company announced this along with a report for its sales revenues in the southeast Asia. The Manila Ikea, the world’s largest IKEA store when it opens in 2021, is designed from the start to house an e-commerce fulfilment operation and a customer contact center. Source: Manila Bulletin (Read More https://bit.ly/3m9wbf3)