Mall of Al Ain signs Apparel Group to bring 20 brands to Al Ain

Twenty Apparel Group brands, from Birkenstock and Charles & Keith to Rituals, Levi’s and Tim Hortons, are coming to Mall of Al Ain. Makani Real Estate, the commercial property arm of MAIR Group and owner of the mall, announced the agreement on 12 November. The new stores will take approximately 10,500 square metres of leasable space, and the first are expected to open in late spring 2027.

For Al Ain, it is the clearest sign yet that one of the Garden City’s best loved shopping addresses is entering a new phase of investment, and we think shoppers will feel the difference.

The brands on their way

The line-up is broad by design. Alongside Birkenstock, Skechers, Aldo, Fitflop, Crocs and Call It Spring for footwear, Apparel Group will bring fashion from R&B, New Yorker, Levi’s, Koton, LC Waikiki, Beverly Hills Polo Club and OFF/PRICE, accessories from Charles & Keith, beauty from Inglot and Rituals, lingerie and loungewear from La Vie en Rose, sport from SPORTSCO, family essentials from Babies & More and coffee from Tim Hortons. In practical terms, that is everyday wardrobe, beauty and family shopping under one roof, much of it in brands residents currently travel further to find.

Haisam Sleiman, chief executive of Makani Real Estate, described the deal as “an important step in shaping the mall’s next phase”, adding that the aim is a retail mix that gives customers more reasons to visit. Neeraj Teckchandani, chief executive of Apparel Group, called it a strategic step in the group’s continued growth across the UAE, with 20 of its brands set to open in one destination.

A mall with a long memory

Mall of Al Ain opened in 2001 and has been part of family life in the city ever since, known as much for its real ice rink as for its shops. Today it houses more than 350 retail brands and over 60 food and beverage outlets. MAIR Group acquired the mall in 2024, and this agreement is the first major piece of its turnaround to reach shoppers directly.

The bigger work follows. Construction on the redevelopment is scheduled to begin in early 2027, and the plans are ambitious: a new external façade, upgraded retail and dining areas, better circulation and accessibility, and an ice rink relocated and expanded to nearly three times its current size. Hotel services are also planned as part of the expansion. The project will be delivered in phases so that the mall stays open throughout.

The companies behind the deal

Makani Real Estate manages more than 92 assets across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai, with approximately 486,000 square metres of gross leasable area, more than 2,100 retail and commercial units and over 70 malls and community hubs. Its portfolio also includes Souq Al Jami’ Al Ain beside Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque and Makani Al Shamkha. In its first quarter 2026 financial statement, the company reported year-on-year revenue growth of 11 percent.

Apparel Group, founded in Dubai in 1996 and led by its founders Sima Ganwani Ved and Nilesh Ved, now runs more than 2,600 stores and over 85 international brands across 14 countries, with a workforce of more than 28,000. Bringing 20 of its names to a single Al Ain destination is a vote of confidence in the city as a retail market in its own right.

For residents, the timeline to remember is simple: new brands from late spring 2027, with the transformation of the mall itself beginning around the same time.

Mall of Al Ain
Al Ain, Abu Dhabi
Owner: Makani Real Estate, part of MAIR Group
Website: makaniuae.com

Imagery courtesy of Makani Real Estate.