Ibn Battuta

Ibn Batutta Mall - Starbucks anyone?

I've already started to talk about how glamorous Dubai is...so I feel like I have to give just a little bit more information and insight for the whole picture. The previous blog post was just about ONE mall, there are actually quite a few. There is another called the Mall of the Emirates which is also huge and beautiful but without the fountain, waterfall and aquarium..what a disappointment, just kidding!

There is another mall called the Ibn Battuta mall which is themed after a famous Arab explorer and adventurer. The mall is the largest themed mall in the world (as is the ambition for everything in the Dubai) and it features sections themed according to the different nations the explorer visited. Everything is themed according to the country. The architecture, foliage, floor, colors, art and food are catered to Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India, and China. Each section also featured Ibn Battuta's accomplishments with informative sculptures or art themed to honor his achievements. This mall was probably the most astounding one in my opinion. There was great detail in everything. I've never visited a themed mall before but I don't think any other will be able to compare to this one. There were multiple exits and entrances and stores for all types of people. The stores in this mall were also different. They were more practical in my opinion without crazy high end designers but more approachable ones like Lacoste or Tommy Hilfiger, not that those are any less than Burberry or Gucci but still a variant of the designer breeds where my wallet doesn't squeal as I walk through the entrance.

Ibn Battuta Mall - Egypt section

While these malls are fun to admire, I also made sure to notice different infrastructure design features to see how these establishments are able to handle crowds and maintain their beauty. I went during the day in Ramadan and since food kiosks and restaurants were prohibited from selling food, the malls were pretty bare. I noticed the way foot traffic would be routed and saw that some sections of the mall were split in order to create more space for stores as well as guide consumers along different paths. Washrooms were also available in each section and were clearly marked with universal symbols for 'man' and 'woman'. They were also placed separately from each other. I know some places have a washroom area and then the only difference between men's and women's restroom is an arrow indicating the direction - it makes it easy to make a mistake. The furnishings were clean and well kept and had staff attending to make sure that it stayed that way.

Ibn Battuta's interest in flight

The parking structures were designed well in the malls. Here in the US, we have some malls with strategically placed underground parking and others with stretched out parking lots. I saw similar design strategies in Dubai. Malls which expected more car traffic had multi-story parking garages with extended free parking hours. The Mall of the Emirates was very accessible with both multi-story parking as well as a metro-train stop right into the mall. They also provided lockers for those who wanted to store their purchases or bags before entering the mall. These features seem practical and logical but honestly its these type of amenities that streamline any experience and shouldn't be taken for granted. It shows forethought and installations to make the consumer's experience easy and comfortable so that they return.

Ibn Battuta Mall - India, look at the detail

Ibn Battuta Mall - India

Ibn Battuta Mall - China section

Ibn Battuta Mall - Chinese ship

The employees of these places are also important to note. As a place of economic opportunity, many foreigners come to Dubai in order to work. During my internship I learned that Emirati nationals are given preference in jobs before foreigners. This yields a 0% unemployment in the country which is a smart policy for such a small country. This way nationals don't have to worry about competing for opportunity and that households always have the means to support themselves and less services for the government to provide. The foreigners who come to work in Dubai come from all over the world. I wasn't exposed to too many businesses beyond the restaurants and malls that I visited so I want to comment on the retail and food vendor opportunities that I witnessed. Many of the representatives in the retail stores were of varying ethnicity. There were a lot of employees from Sri Lanka, Bengal, Pakistan, and the Philipines. Many of the janitorial and food retail/cash register positions were held by Philipinos which was a surprise to me because I was under the impression that South Asians represented a huge portion of the entry level associate positions. As a south Asian it was interesting for me to see this type of hierarchy. Many of the South Asians were in sales associate positions in the souvenir shops I purchased from. Living in the United States, I rarely get to barter with anyone and in Dubai I felt a small privilege in being able to barter with the sales agent in a language that other people were unable to speak. They could tell I was from the US right off the bat and I knew I could haggle them for somewhat of a better price than listed on the price sticker. It was a small win but a fun component of the experience overall! The hotels I visited hosted more of multi-cultured medley with associates from what seemed to be everywhere. I met people from everywhere including places like New Zealand, Australia, and even Germany.

Ibn Battuta Mall - Persia