Malls & Shopping Centres
Shopping malls are a part of daily life in the UAE. For shopping, walking, eating, playing and browsing, especially during the summer months, they fit in well with the rapid pace of life today, saving precious time by offering a wider range of products all under one roof. The fully air-conditioned modern malls provide safe, convenient and good shopping, with a varied array of international and local brands combined with children's entertainment centres and numerous food outlet, restaurants, cafés and coffee shops. Large malls have ample parking and taxis are readily available at the main entrances. Sharjah has a shopping festival during the month of Ramadan, as well as Spring Promotions in March every year.
• Most shopping malls are open from 10 am - 11 pm or later on weekdays and on Saturdays, and from 2 pm - 11 pm on Fridays. Some of the food outlets and the entertainment centres have different timings and are often open for longer.
Safeer Mall
Positioned along the busy Dubai/Sharjah highway, close to Al Nahda residential area, this three storey mall provides a wide choice of shopping with over 300 outlets, among them Damas, Jacky’s Express, Cellucom, Hang Ten, Sun N Sand Sports, Royal Furniture Palace, Home Mart and Sharaf DG, with entertainment facilities for all the family. The mall has four levels of dedicated zones offering a hypermarket, a discount centre, electronics, IT and computers; fashion and accessories; furniture, lifestyle and household products; topped by Space City, a large amusement centre with a futuristic theme decor, and an international food court. Fitness First, with the latest equipment from Technogym, offers some great group exercise classes.
Sahara Centre
Sahara Centre, located off the Dubai/Sharjah highway and open since 2002, has a distinctive ‘tented’ exterior and is undoubtedly one of Sharjah's landmarks offering a complete family shopping and entertainment destination. Sahara Centre boasts a highly attractive mix of anchor tenants, renowned international brands and the finest regional stores and kiosks, providing a great shopping and entertainment experience in wide open spaces with natural light and an appealing, airy ambiance. A destination for lifestyle shopping with everything under one roof - over 190 shops including a wide range of fashion items for the entire family along with sporting goods, toys, cosmetics, jewellery, books, home furnishing and electronics. Some of the mall's key anchors are Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Toys 'R' Us, THE One, Spinneys and Grand Sahara Cinemas.
The multicultural food court provides an array of international cuisine served in the many cafés and restaurants from Italian, Chinese and Iranian to Arabic and Indian, as well as the global fast food chains. Adventureland, the indoor family entertainment area with its Aztec Mayan inspired interior offers a fantastic selection of electronic games and a variety of thrilling rides including an indoor roller coaster. Another attraction is the 6-screen multiplex movie theatre Grand Sahara Cinemas, screening a variety of international movies.
Taxis can be found in front of the mall, shuttle bus services run between the hotels and the mall, and a new pedestrian overpass bridge connects the mall to residents living in Al Nahda.
Sahara Centre is Wi-Fi enabled with free Internet access for those who love to surf the net while dining at the Food Court or at the Central Drum Court.
Sharjah City Centre
Sharjah City Centre is located in the heart of the city on Al Wahda Road, a well known shopping district. Opened in 2001 it covers an area of over 35,000 square metres of shopping, leisure and entertainment for the whole family, and always attracts a large crowd especially with the new extension.
All under one roof, a wide range of over a 114 retail outlets and services offer fashion, sports, lifestyle, electronics, home accessories and children’s stores, including household and international names such as H&M, New Look, Monsoon, Splash, Carrefour Hypermarket, Areej, Sun & Sand Sports, Shoe Mart, Baby Shop, Mr Price, Lifestyle, Landmark, Woolworths and Bhs to mention a few. Sharjah City Centre also has a great selection of electronic items on their ground floor and a good range of home appliances in Carrefour Hypermarket. Other facilities are Magic Planet, a dedicated children’s play area, along with 20 fast food outlets and restaurants and ample parking.
The mall offers customers true value for money, and coupled with leisure and entertainment, is a perfect shopping destination for everyone, whether it is for a day out with the family where you can leave the children at the play area; or shopping with friends and meeting for lunch.
Sharjah Mega Mall
Sharjah Mega Mall located in Abu Shagara, is a leading retail and leisure facility offering over 150 retail outlets spread over three levels. Well known stores include BHS, Zara and Mango, Promod, Paris Gallery, Aldo, Brantano Shoe City, Nine West, La Senza, Guess, Damas, Jack & Jones, Salam Studio Stores and Vero Moda, and there is a large supermarket open 24 hours on the ground floor. Complementing the wide array of retail and fashion concepts, Sharjah Mega Mall is a place of leisure and entertainment. Grand Cinemas offer the latest movies and Antic’s Land, a distinctively themed family entertainment centre comprises three mystical lands with unique rides, edutainment activities and games including a roller coaster, a monorail, 3D cinema and haunted house and the latest video games.
The mall has a large and busy food court on the top floor and there are several cafés and coffee shops to choose from on each level. Ample indoor and outdoor parking is available.
There are also a number of prestigious markets located in similar commercial centres such as Al Fardan Centre, Ansar Mall, Atlas Mall and Crystal Plaza.
Cool entertainment in the Malls
Amusement Centres
Games, rides and fun with friends, entertainment for the younger generation is close at hand in Sharjah’s malls, children’s centres and museums. Admission is free to all the amusement centres and you pay as you go until your pockets are empty. The play and learning centres usually charge an entry free and use of the facilities is free, although games and machines are on a pay as you go basis. Some centres provide organised activities for the youngsters in the mornings or during the summer holidays.
Visit Advetureland (Sahara Centre), Antic’s Land (Sharjah Mega Mall), Magic Planet (Sharjah City Centre), Space City (Safeer Mall), Al Fardan Centre and Sky 24. Whilst not in a mall the Sharjah Discovery Centre located opposite the airport is a fun filled, interactive ‘hands-on’ scientific centre designed for children, where they can discover and learn through play.
Cinemas
Cinemas (Sahara Centre, Sharjah Mega Mall and Riviera Tower) are open seven days a week and the first showing is usually around 1 pm. For more details call the cinemas or check the daily newspapers, the weekly Gulf News ‘Entertainment Plus’ and the Internet (www.gulfnews.com/cinema/cinema.html). Age rating restrictions apply and most cinemas do not let in children under 5 years of age. Tickets cost Dhs 30 per person.