Related is hoping to do for an Abu Dhabi neighborhood what it did for New York’s Columbus Circle — that is, turn it into a luxury shopping and dining destination. The development company is planning two massive projects, Sowwah Central and The Galleria at Sowwah Square, for the Middle Eastern city. And today the firm revealed that it has already secured 48 luxury tenants for the 15.8 million-square-foot mixed-use center.
Set to open in August, the 550,000-square-foot Galleria at Sowwah Square portion of the project is now 100 percent leased, with new tenants including Christian Dior, Fendi, Burberry, Miu Miu, Ralph Lauren, Mikimoto, Pomellato, Richard Mille, Tag Heuer, Jimmy Choo, Berluti, Boucheron, Diane von Furstenberg and Moschino.
The Elkus Manfredi-designed Sowwah Central will feature 2.3 million square feet of retail, hotel and residential space in the centerpoint of the Al Maryah Island of Abu Dhabi. The project is set to open in 2017.
“Our vision for Sowwah Central was born out of the tremendous response by the luxury retail community to the unique offering at The Galleria. Sowwah Central will create a new paradigm in Abu Dhabi through the creation of the region’s premier one-stop destination for retail, leisure and dining, ” Kenneth Himmel, co-managing partner of Gulf Related and president and CEO of Related Urban, said. —Christopher Cameron