The opening of Abu Dhabi's long-awaited Al Maryah Central, which had been scheduled to open last month, has now been set for August 2019.
The Dh5 billion, 2.8 million-square-foot mall is slated to include the first Macy's store outside of the US and will now open on August 27 next year following several delays.
Developer Gulf Related broke ground on the project in late 2014 and initially set the opening date as March 1, 2018.
In September 2016, the developer said 50 per cent of the space had been let to 60 brands, and announced that the opening had been delayed until August 2018.
On Tuesday, Gulf Related, a partnership between the Abu Dhabi-based private equity house Gulf Capital and the US real estate investment firm Related Companies, said construction is now complete and tenants can now begin fitting out their stores.
"As we conclude construction, Al Maryah Central has now moved into the pre-opening phase," said Daniel Parry, managing director and general counsel of Gulf Related.
"This important certification now enables our tenants to start the fit-out of their stores, ensuring we are ready to open to the public next August.
The mall is planned to include a 205,000 sq ft Macy's store spanning four floors, in addition to a Bloomingdale's as part of a commitment by Al Tayer, which represents both brands.
The Al Maryah Central Bloomingdale's store is scheduled to be bigger than its existing Dubai Mall outlet, which is the brand's most successful branch after the flagship Manhattan store.
The mall will include a flagship Zara store, as well as an All Saints, Lululemon and Alice and Olivia stores. There will also be a public library and five public parks, according to previous announcements.
The project includes two 400,000 sq ft integrated towers that will house a hotel and serviced apartments in one and luxury residences in the other.