The Final Days of Souk Al Marfa in Dubai?

Souk Al Marfa, once a bustling retail hotspot in Dubai, appears to be closing its doors for good after years of declining business. A recent visit to the waterfront shopping centre paints a dreary picture, with barely any visitors browsing its near-empty halls. Most stores have already pulled down shutters, leaving the vast complex feeling forlorn.

There have been talks that the mall, which stretches for 1.9km along the waterfront of Dubai Islands, could soon be shut down or be relocated.

In a brochure of the redeveloped Dubai Islands sent out by Nakheel to property agents, Souk Al Marfa does not feature. In its place, there is a stretch of a waterfront residential community as well as a Destination Art and Cultural District.

Souk Al Marfa is the latest in a series of other high profile closures in Dubai to make way for bigger developments. In 2022, the popular beachfront destination La Mer was shut down with the developer announcing that there would be a brand new J1 beach in its place. In May last year, Nakheel sent eviction notices to shops and restaurants at The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah, which gave them time until May 2024 to vacate. The destination is expected to be redeveloped into waterfront residences.

On the way to the centre, there is no signboard indicating the location of Souq Al Marfa. The signage on the mall itself has also been removed. The verified Instagram account of the destination has been inactive since October 2023.

One shopkeeper said it was her final few days inside the mall. “The mall management offered us alternate shops in Dragon Mart as well as Waterfront Market,” she said. “The rent in Souq Al Marfa was very low. It was roughly around Dh40,000 for a year, which is less than half of shop rents in Dragon Mart and Waterfront Market. However, some of us were offered kiosks in Dragon Mart starting from Dh20,000 for a year. So everyone got a good deal and we are happy about it.”

Not all shopkeepers were happy with the options they were offered. Some said they were heartbroken. “We took this shop soon after the Covid pandemic,” said one. “At the time, we had the option to pick a location in Deira or here. We chose Souq Al Marfa. Now, we are at a loss what to do. We can’t go to Deira because shop owners are asking for huge amounts as 'key money' and we can’t afford that. For now, we are trying to sell our products online through Amazon. That is the only way we are surviving.”