Dubai Mall, located in the center of the city’s downtown, has become the most visited place on earth with a record number of 105 million visitors in 2023. A statement released by Dubai government’s media office revealed that the figure for 2023 was up by 19% from 2022, when the mall saw 88 million visitors. The statement further added that 2024 is “set to be another record year” with 20 million people having visited in January and February alone.
Dubai Mall has over 1,200 retail outlets, including two department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Bloomingdale’s, along with more than 200 restaurants. Additionally, the mall also has the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, a virtual reality park, a haunted attraction experience, a cinema, an ice rink, a multi-sports complex, and a trampoline park.
The new figures also showed that the mall attracted visitors from every corner of the world, highlighting its worldwide charm and reflecting the cosmopolitan culture of Dubai itself. The mall’s events and promotions, along with festive occasions and international celebrations, were major drivers of its foot traffic, according to the media office’s statement.
In 2023, the mall’s ‘Retail Relation’ program partnered with top-tier brands to create immersive shopping experiences. Visitors marveled at the magical festive displays by big designers like Cartier, Carolina Herrera, and Dior, while the Ramadan installation featured exclusive collections from brands like Fendi and Chloe.
Mohamed Alabbar, the founder of Emaar, which developed the mall, said that the mall’s success reflects Dubai’s strong economy and forward-thinking leadership. He added that Dubai Mall plays a crucial role in the city’s success and innovation, being an integral part of Dubai’s economic fabric.
Dubai continues to remain a significant tourist attraction, with Dubai International Airport (DXB) registering a 31.7% increase in passenger traffic last year to 86.9 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. It also received a record-breaking 17 million international tourists. The city is also one of several expected to join the ‘100 million passengers club’ in 2024.
Mohammed Alnahari Alhashmi, the vice president of Pakistan for Emirates Airline, shared that the South Asian country was among the top 10 source markets contributing to the record number of overnight visitors to Dubai, with over 250,000 in the first nine months of 2023.
