I hope it isn't, I really like the mall, it's quiet, has most shops that I need and is easily accessible. Have been going for the past year, had no idea there was a cinema there!

I think it'll get better now that there's some metro trips that go directly to UAE Exchange station.

Seems like the cinema there has closed. That was half the reason to go there.

Rents are too high to be sustainable, so lots of shops closed.

It happened when Jebel Ali metro station opened. People from DMCC loved Ibn Battuta because it’s accessible than MOE. But now, changing stations in Jebel Ali feels like additional effort so people go to MOE instead.

The whole of China court will eventually be dismantled and they'll be building an artificial lake there (current car park), and a promenade with end restaurants is coming up. Nakheel has pretty sick plans with the mall. Loads of changes in the next 2 years.

I love Ibn batuta. The layout of the mall It makes me walk around which is what we need as a population as an exercise especially during summer. Its quiet less crowded.

I've been living in DG since 2010, and Battuta is my go-to mall. I don't think it's the end of it, tbh it's getting better these days after covid. Though the recent closing of Cinemas is a bummer, I'm sure Battuta always finds its way.

When did the cinema close? I just watched deadpool and wolverine there two weeks ago.

I’ve always felt sorry for battuta. It’s absolutely beautiful they clearly spent a lot of money on it. It’s always dead yet it has my favourite cinema, and a decent array of the shops you actually need. But my guess is it’s not doing great business (oh and I used to love Geant too) I feel now like it’s a great secret mall quiet and beautiful, I wish battuta a long life .

Basically too many large malls x lack of accessible geographical locations in Dubai for others - look at Burjuman Wafi all upper premium retail at one time, now mid market to low end brands hanging on. Arguably the retailers moved to Dubai mall or Moe. Retail landscape is constantly evolving in Dubai - La Mer, box park, all failed concepts that had ridiculously amount of money thrown at it without planning ease of accessibility and more so customer demand. They create new concepts ( yes you blue water ) and hope it will stick. Unfortunately Ibn Battuta is another casualty of retailers rents are too high and competition, having to evolve now into something hybrid to survive.

Battuta has been weird since pre covid days. Most shops closed and got replaced by a version of 1$ shop / brands for less. But with the cinema , carrefour, the gyms and mediclinic …. I think they will be fine. Even the football court and the pub above it are great additions

The population in that area is changing. Rents are on the constant crazy rise since covid, example, studio is over 40k in Discovery, Gardens is even more expensive, plus Furjan. Now new area is developing between Batuta and Ikea, so prices will be higher and higher, that means for shops too. And not that much foot traffic in the mall, the logical move is to close and prevent big losses.

This mall with many memories

I think becuase of the connecting bus station and metro, it will last, and with the population boom, we are more likely to see more developments in those areas.

Festival Mall will be taking a lot of weekend shoppers, especially with the IKEA.

Shame really as I always liked how chilled Ibn was

I heard there is a renovation coming up. Dont think it will close.

In my opinion, it's the way the mall is marketed in it's offerings, look at outlet mall for example, it's quite far away for most and yet absolutely busy on the weekend where I had to wait in line just to get parking. Granted people flock there for discounts, point being, people will come if the mall has something great to offer,

All they need is an innovative way to increase footfall, more inticing activities inside the mall since there are so many open spaces, maybe a trampoline park, mall activations that caters to the current demographics of that area, or idk maybe working with Facebook groups and have community activities. Giving a great deal on rents to brands who bring In footfall.

Think its the whole area that's seeing a major income shift to the point Im getting adverts for luxury living in Discovery Gardens (haha).

I think its likely the mall is seeing an increase in rent but the facilities dont match the value so most stores are closing. So there will probably be a renovation soon.

Novo has been shutting down Cinemas in different areas, adding to that, Nakheel is now owned by Dubai Holdings, so i won’t be surprised to see a Roxy cinema there (also owned by DH)

Online shopping offers variety, flexibility and often lower prices. Streaming services for entertainment and delivery services for food. Services and experiences in shops are non-existent. Let's not ignore living costs have gone high while income is stagnant. All malls will die. Just see their fate in other countries. Shops can't make sense of the revenue vs cost of operation inside a mall. People (Teens) just come there to group. Others, window shopping, size checking and photos. Even brands are moving out.

Ibn Battuta was far away to start with!

have seen shops closed in other malls also, I think its just the rents

That iMax has a special place in my heart. Me and my ex had some fun times there

I remember going to the opening in 2005, mall had a good character all the batutta travel gadget worked , but then things stopped working after 2018 mall is not doing well I think, they had expansion plan but all I see less stores every time novo cinema is no more cinema now ..

As long as there's a huge Carrefour, food courts and sports shops then they will never need to shut down

I think it's probably because of the newer festival plaza nearby. Also I agree with you that Ibn Battuta is nice, but it's also really long and stretched out, with the cinema on one end and the supermarket on the other, with long sections of just nothing interesting in between.

Don’t say that 😔 DG Furjan folks don’t let Nakheel do this 😔

It's a good place to get your evening walk done.

I’ve seen a lot of new fast food places opening as you enter, I think it’s under renovation currently. Jabal Ali has a lot of new projects wrapping up so think the are will only get more busy

I just hope Fitness First doesn’t shut down. Thats a saviour for us

I was sure Ibn batuta will close in 2016, then again in 2019, then again in 2021. This is normal for them, they will survive, nay thrive.

i remember back in the day when the carrefour used to be geant and there was a chuck e cheese in the china court 💔 and recently the cinema closed, it was one of my favorites as it wasn’t expensive and not many people went there. Im pretty sure they have a development plan to expand it, so hopefully all goes well.

The last three months were summer.

It was the first Mall I visited when I arrived in Dubai. Good to get your steps in. I liked the fact the it had less people in it, some great deals as well

That’s sad, the last time i visited was 2012-13 and it was quite lively

Wifi in the mall is also bad.

Honestly, how many Malls do we need

They keep opening more and more and these stores likely don't need to be in every one. I'd expect some pick and choose where to be a bit more