The shopping mall of Ibn Battuta Mall is located far from the center of Dubai and is therefore less known to tourists. Nevertheless, a visit to this huge shopping center is recommended because of the beautiful layout of the shopping mall. The interior of the shopping center is inspired by the Arab explorer Ibn Battuta who has traveled to Andalusia, China, Egypt, India, Persia and Tunisia.
Six theme areas in the mall
The Ibn Battuta Mall is divided into six different theme areas that reflect the six regions that Ibn Battuta has visited. Every theme zone is beautifully decorated so that many people do not visit the mall to go shopping, but purely to admire the interior.
The shopping center has more than 400 stores and many restaurants. You will find stores as Adidas, Montblanc, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Foot Locker, GAP, H & M and Superdry. The complete range of stores can be found on the website of the shopping center: www.ibnbattutamall.com. You can also grab a movie in the cinema or bowling at the bowling alley. It is even possible to spend the night in the shopping center at the 5 star hotel Movenpick Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel.
Persia Court
The big attraction of the Persia Court is the magnificent atrium where the Starbucks can be found. Everywhere you look you see beautiful yellow and blue mosaics. The large dome you see in the Persia Court is hand painted and is a real must-see. If you are hungry, you can visit the Persia Court and choose for the Noon & Kebab
China Court
The China Court is the biggest zone of the shopping center and here you will find one of the highlights of the shopping mall. The large Chinese ship that Ibn Battuta used to sail is exhibited here.
In the China Court you will find the large electronics store Sharaf DG. You can also find a large number of restaurants in the China Court and the 21-screen cinema.
Egypt Court
If you walk to the mall with the metrobrug you enter the Egypt Court. Here you will find more than 50 restaurants and many shops. The pyramids, hieroglyphics in the walls and the Egyptian bazaar are the attraction of the Egyptian department.
India Court
The India Court is completely dedicated to India. The central dome is inspired by the famous Taj Mahal, the Red Fort of Delhi and the Palace of Winds. You will also find the Elephant Clock in the India Court. The life-size elephant clock is made by the inventor Al Jazari. Every hour the clock comes to life with wooden figures and dragons and the time is told.
In the India Court you will find next to shops and restaurants a bowling alley where you can play bowling on one of the 12 automated lanes.
Andalusia Court
Andalusia was the last destination of Ibn Battuta during his long journey. The Andalusia Court is one of the smallest areas in the shopping center but definitely worth a visit. Here you will find large stone lions which are inspired by the famous Alhambra fortress.
There are also influences from the great cathedral of Córdoba, the Mezquita and you can see the unique red walls in this part of the shopping center. Andalusia / Córdoba is famous for his unique red stone walls and it is nice to see that the designer integrated this in the Ibn Battuta mall.
Tunesia Court
Tunisia was the first harbor visited by the Arab explorer Ibn Battuta. The Tunesia Court in the shopping center is inspired by the harbor cities of Tunisia and Morocco with Arabic mosaics, white stucco facades, blue doors, wrought iron doors and stained-glass windows.
In the Tunesia Court you can find the supermarket of Carefour and Fun City. Fun City is an entertainment area for children with playgrounds, game rooms, a ball pit and slides.
Location of the Ibn Battuta Mall
The Ibn Battata Mall is located outside the center of Dubai on Sheik Zayed Road near Jebel Ali. The shopping center is the last shopping mall on the way to Abu Dhabi and is particularly popular with locals and expats living in the neighborhoods behind the shopping center.
Metro
Despite its location outside the city center, the Ibn Battuta Mall is easily accessible with the public transport of Dubai thanks to its location next to the Ibn Battuta metro station. The Ibn Battuta Mall metro station is one of the last stations on the red line of the Dubai metro. Therefore this is a relatively quiet metro station. The metro station is located in zone 2 of the metro.
Thanks to the 210 meter long metro link bridge which is equipped with airco you can walk straight into the shopping center from the metro station. Especially in the warm summer months this is a relief.
Bus
Right next to the metro station is the bus station Ibn Battuta Mall. From here, buses leave to many neighborhoods in Dubai. From this bus station also buses depart to Abu Dhabi. You can easy to combine a visit to the Ibn Battuta Mall with a daytrip to the neighboring Emirate of Abu Dhabi. More information about traveling to Abu Dhabi can be found on our page “Traveling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi”.
Taxi
You can also easily travel to the mall by taxi. Because of the distant location of the shopping center it is more pricey to travel from the center of Dubai to the Ibn Battuta Mall by taxi. If you want to take a taxi back, you can find the taxi at the taxi stands. During the opening hours of the shopping center, the taxis can be found at the Andalusia Court entrance, the Persia Court main entrance and the China Court main entrance.
Car
If you come with your own car you can park on the enormous parking lot with space for 5000 cars. Valet parking is available at the mall. Thanks to its location on Sheik Zayed Road, the shopping center can be easily reached by car, you can take exit 5 or 6 from Sheik Zayed Road and then follow the signs to the shopping center.
Opening hours Ibn Battuta Mall
The Ibn Battuta shopping center is open daily from 10 in the morning until 10 in the evening. On Thursday to Saturday the shopping center is open until 12 o’clock at night. The Carrefour supermarket in the shopping center opens daily at 9 o’clock in the morning. During the Ramadan in Dubai there are different opening hours for the shopping center. Look for the opening hours during Ramadan on the website of the shopping center: www.ibnbattutamall.com.
