Ikea opens largest Mideast outlet on Yas Island

Aldar Properties and Al Futtaim Group on Tuesday opened Ikea’s largest store in the Middle East at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

They anticipate nearly 1.3 million visitors in the first year of operations at the 33,000square metres flagship store.

Omar Al Futtaim, Vice-Chairman, Al Futtaim Group, said: "Al Futtaim Group is fully committed to offering customers an unrivalled choice of the world's best brands with exceptional standards of customer service."

Steve Hammett, President - Retail, Al Futtaim Group, confirmed the Ikea Yas flagship store will be a strong impetus to push ahead with plans to expand into the region.

According to him Ikea Yas store is bigger than the 25,400 square metres store in Dubai Festival City and three times the size of Abu Dhabi Marina Mall store, which closed all operations recently.

Mile Franicevic, General Manager, Ikea - UAE, Qatar and Egypt said the store will offer yet another wonderful shopping and leisure experience to around 1.3 million visitors during the first full year of operations.

Joining Omar Al Futtaim was the Swedish Ambassador Magnus Scholdtz and Ahmed Al Sayegh, Chairman of Aldar Properties, among several distinguished guests and media, as anxious customers queued outside to step into the first globally recognised retailer to operate from Yas Island.