Nationalities visiting malls most (and least) frequently in Dubai

Trips to the mall are on the rise in the UAE with majority of the residents spending between Dh100 and Dh500 during each visit, according to new survey.

According to a survey of 1,000 UAE residents conducted by YouGov, two fifths of respondents (41 per cent) said the frequency of their visits to malls had increased in the last two years.

Currently 42 per cent of residents reported going to the mall 1-2 times a week, with 13 per cent visiting 2-5 times a week and 7 per cent saying they go more than five times a week.

Emiratis were the most frequent visitors, with 20 per cent saying they go to a mall more than five times a week.

Emiratis also visited the most malls with 21 per cent saying they visit more than five different malls each month. Western expats were the most infrequent visitors to malls with just one per cent saying they visit a mall more than five times a month.

The survey results showed that most UAE residents (54 per cent) spend between Dh100-500 per mall visit, with shopping for clothes and goods (43 per cent) cited as the main attraction.

Spending time with family (11 per cent) and eating and dining out (10 per cent) were the next biggest draws for UAE mall visitors.

The variety of retail outlets (50 per cent) ranked as the most important factor when it comes to choosing a mall, followed by location (36 per cent) and the quality of retail outlets (31 per cent). Of those surveyed an overwhelming majority (82 per cent) said they would like to see more home-grown brands in the UAE malls.

“Malls are an intrinsic part of the fabric of everyday life in regions such as Saudi Arabia and here in the UAE. Clearly the frequency of visits is on the rise and this is a welcome sign for the malls, retailers and for the UAE economy,” said Simon Wilcock, Chief Executive Officer of Arabian Centres.

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