Al Ain Mall signs deal to welcome 20 Apparel Group brands

Makani Real Estate, the property arm of Meer Group and owner of Al Ain Mall, has signed an agreement with Apparel Group to bring 20 brands to the shopping centre. The deal marks a concrete step in the destination’s redevelopment, with the first stores expected to open in late spring 2027. For the UAE’s franchise community, the announcement highlights the expansion of several brands at a single location alongside upgrades to its facilities.

Twenty brands across around 10,500 square metres

According to a report published in First Avenue magazine on 12 November 2026, the agreement covers around 10,500 square metres of gross leasable area. The line-up spans fashion, footwear, beauty, accessories, sports and family shopping, with Tim Hortons also among the brands announced.

The 20 brands are R&B, OFF/PRICE, Birkenstock, Skechers, Aldo, Beverly Hills Polo Club, Charles & Keith, Fitflop, New Yorker, Levi’s, Inglot, Crocs, Koton, Babies & More, Rituals, Tim Hortons, La Vie en Rose, SPORTSCO, LC Waikiki and Call It Spring.

This mix makes the agreement an expansion of the centre’s offering across multiple categories, rather than simply the addition of a single anchor store. The list caters to a range of shopping needs, from clothing and footwear to beauty products and family essentials, in keeping with the stated aim of giving visitors in Al Ain more choice.

The 10,500-square-metre figure refers to the total area covered by the agreement, not the size of an individual store. Equally, the announcement of 20 brands does not mean they will all begin welcoming customers on the same day: the stated opening window applies to the first stores expected to launch within this line-up.

Store openings planned alongside redevelopment

The agreement comes ahead of Al Ain Mall’s redevelopment, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2027. Under the announced plan, the work will transform the exterior, upgrade retail and dining areas, and improve visitor circulation and accessibility within the centre.

The plan also includes relocating the existing ice rink and expanding it to almost three times its current size. Planned hotel facilities form part of the expansion too, making this a broader project than a change of tenants or a refresh of shopfronts alone.

The redevelopment is due to be carried out in phases, with the aim of keeping Al Ain Mall open throughout construction. This is an important distinction when considering the timetable: the centre will continue trading as the upgrades progress, while the first stores in the new line-up are expected to open in late spring 2027.

These dates remain future plans, rather than confirmation that trading has already begun. Each confirmed store opening will be a separate milestone from the signing of the agreement and the start of redevelopment work, even though these steps are linked within the same project.

What does the agreement mean for the franchise community?

The significance for the UAE’s franchise community lies in the combination of a multi-brand expansion and an agreement with the owner of a retail destination undergoing modernisation. This is not simply a general expression of interest in the Al Ain market: it identifies specific brands, a total floor area and an expected window for the first openings.

That provides a practical way to track the expansion, from signing the agreement to fitting out the premises and opening the first stores. It also shows how brand expansion within an existing shopping centre can coincide with changes to facilities, visitor circulation, dining and leisure areas, rather than just the addition of retail space.

However, the nature of the announcement calls for a distinction between an agreement to bring brands into a shopping centre and the availability of new franchise rights for investors. The report identifies the parties to the agreement and the brands expected to arrive. It should not be treated as an announcement of sub-franchise opportunities, nor as a basis for assuming contractual terms for any of the brands listed.

Similarly, the floor area and number of brands are not enough to estimate financial returns or future store performance. These figures describe the scale of the announced expansion. Assessing its operating results will require stores to begin trading and their actual performance to be monitored, rather than treating an opening plan as an achieved commercial outcome.

What to watch next: delivery and opening

The two main milestones ahead are the start of redevelopment work, scheduled for early 2027, and the first store openings, expected in late spring. The sequence of openings and progress of the phased works will be important to monitor, particularly as the centre will remain open during construction.

For brand owners and operators, the agreement offers a useful case to follow in coordinating multi-brand expansion with the modernisation of an existing destination. For an investor assessing a retail location, the practical question is how store fit-out and opening dates align with the centre’s redevelopment phases and customer access routes.

Practical takeaway: Track confirmed openings and the delivery timetable, and distinguish between announced brand expansion and investment opportunities that are genuinely available. Before making a decision, verify operating rights, site terms and handover dates directly.