The verdict in three sentences
For a Dubai mall with 85 stores and 1.2 million visitors a year, the website has two jobs: bring in shoppers and, above all, lease vacant units and promotional space. As a 2026 ballpark, budget USD 35,000 to 60,000 for a store directory run by the mall team, available unit plans, leasing and space booking forms and an events calendar. Plan 8 weeks, with one clear target: bring vacancy down from 12 to 6 %.
Two audiences, two journeys
Shoppers want opening hours, parking, the store list, offers and weekend events. A prospective tenant, whether an international franchise entering the UAE through a master franchisee or a homegrown concept opening its second branch, wants something else: footfall, catchment profile, available units, terms and a leasing contact who answers fast. Most mall sites serve the first audience well and leave the second to call the switchboard.
The leasing module is therefore the heart of the project. It shows vacant units on an interactive plan per level, with area, frontage, location (main mall, food court, ground floor near the entrance), availability date and a viewing request button. Footfall and catchment data sit in a leasing pack downloadable after a short form.
| Site component | Audience | 2026 ballpark (USD) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design, brand and practical pages | Shoppers | 7,000 to 11,000 | Hours, access, parking, services |
| Editable directory of 85 stores | Shoppers and tenants | 5,500 to 9,500 | Filters by category and level |
| Available unit plans | Prospective tenants | 7,000 to 12,000 | Interactive plan per level |
| Space and kiosk booking form | Brands and advertisers | 5,000 to 9,000 | Atrium, totems, pop-up kiosks |
| Events calendar and offers | Shoppers | 4,500 to 8,500 | Updated by marketing team |
| Arabic and English, local SEO, launch | All | 6,000 to 10,000 | Languages are set in the quote |
| Total | USD 35,000 to 60,000 |
Promotional space: an underused revenue line
Beyond leases, a mall sells atrium space for product launches, pop-up kiosks, advertising totems, digital screens and sampling activations. In Dubai, telecom operators, banks, car brands and FMCG players book these spaces around Ramadan, Eid, Dubai Shopping Festival and back to school. A structured form (space type, dates, area, power needs) replaces scattered emails and lets the team track occupancy.
| Space sold | Indicative 2026 market rate | Current occupancy | Target with the site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop-up kiosk 9 m² (per week) | USD 1,500 to 3,000 | 18 weeks out of 52 | 30 weeks |
| Event atrium (per day) | USD 4,000 to 8,000 | 20 days a year | 35 days |
| Advertising totem (per month) | USD 1,000 to 2,000 | 40 % | 70 % |
| Digital screen, 15-second loop (per month) | USD 1,200 to 2,500 | 35 % | 60 % |
| Retail unit (yearly rent per sq ft) | USD 40 to 110 | 88 % leased | 94 % leased |
Run by the mall team, fast on mobile
The directory must be maintained by the mall team, not the agency: add a store in 5 minutes, with logo, specific hours and social links. Events and offers should be publishable from a phone. On performance, most shoppers check the site on mobile while driving in on Sheikh Zayed Road or Al Khail Road: light pages, optimised images and a tap-to-navigate location link. Personal data collected through forms falls under the UAE Personal Data Protection Law, with consent and retention clearly stated.
The schedule: week 1 for scoping and collecting floor plans, weeks 2 and 3 for design, weeks 4 to 6 for build, week 7 for loading 85 stores and training, week 8 for testing and launch.
Mini case study
Layla, leasing director of a community mall in Dubai, models the effect of lower vacancy.
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- Gross leasable area: 200,000 sq ft. Current vacancy of 12 %, so 24,000 sq ft empty.
- Target of 6 %: 12,000 sq ft re-let at an average USD 60 per sq ft a year, so USD 720,000 of extra annual rent.
- Promotional space: 12 extra pop-up weeks at USD 2,000, so USD 24,000 a year.
- Investment: site at USD 50,000 plus maintenance at USD 600 a month, so 50,000 + 12 × 600 = USD 57,200 in year one.
A single re-let unit of 1,500 sq ft (USD 90,000 a year) pays for the site in about 8 months.
FAQ
Should we show rents on the website?
No: show area, location and availability, and keep commercial terms for the viewing. Viewing requests should get a reply within 24 hours.
Who updates the store directory?
The mall marketing team, from a simple back office. Allow 1 hour of training and 5 minutes per store for all 85 stores.
Can promotional space be booked online?
Yes for enquiries and provisional holds; payment by card or bank transfer follows contract approval. That cuts handling time to under 48 hours.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
Roughly USD 400 to 900 a month depending on monitoring and how often plans and events change, so USD 4,800 to 10,800 a year.
Does the website really help lease vacant units?
It does not replace a leasing team, but it gives retailers a complete pack in 2 minutes. International franchisors often compare 3 to 5 malls before booking a visit.
Let's scope your project. We map the directory, unit plans, space booking and events calendar with you for launch in 8 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
