Waitrose to Open Store at AKOYA by DAMAC

26,000 sq ft Grocery Outlet to be Anchor Tenant in Retail Centre

Waitrose, the food shops of the John Lewis Partnership, is to open a 26,000 sq ft store in the AKOYA by DAMAC Retail Centre. Set within the 42 million sq ft golf and lifestyle community in Dubai, Waitrose will be the anchor tenant of the precinct which will include high-end shopping outlets, a pharmacy and restaurants. 

The shop will be the eighth Waitrose to open in the UAE under a licence through the retailer's partnership with Fine Fare Food Market (FFFM). 

AKOYA by DAMAC, which is set around the Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, was recently named the ‘Best Golf Development in the World’, by the International Property Awards. The development includes 4.3 million sq ft of private parkland, with luxury branded villas by FENDI, Paramount and Trump providing a new level of luxury living. 

The master development is a fully-integrated lifestyle community which includes international schools, a boutique hotel and spa. 

“Waitrose is the ideal anchor tenant for the AKOYA by DAMAC Retail Centre,” said Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President, DAMAC Properties. “The fresh food and stylish home ware available provides residents of AKOYA by DAMAC, and the surrounding area, an ideal convenience to complement the luxury living environment, with everything you need, when you need it.” 

The AKOYA by DAMAC Retail Centre will cover a total of 94,500 sq ft with upscale casual dining options, cafes, a pharmacy, travel agency, dry cleaners, opticians and a host of fashion stores. Construction at the site is already well underway, with the first handover of units scheduled for completion by the end of 2015. 

There are more than 280 Waitrose branches in the UK and seven currently in the UAE dedicated to offering quality, value and customer service. 

“We’re delighted to be opening another Waitrose shop in the UAE, bringing the retailer’s quality food and great value to more people,” said Patrick Lawrence, Property Manager for FFFM. “Combining the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop, Waitrose at AKOYA by DAMAC is set to become the destination of choice for those who appreciate fine food, good value and great service. The Retail Centre offers a great catchment area, just off Umm Sequim Road, and we look forward to working with DAMAC Properties on this exciting project.” 

The AKOYA by DAMAC master plan was unveiled at the end of April 2013 and a great deal of work has already been undertaken on site in the past eight months. More than 100 work orders & packages have been placed and the Trump International Golf Club, Dubai is taking shape under the guidance of internationally-renowned architect and designer Gil Hanse. 

A wide variety of villas and apartments have already been made available in AKOYA by DAMAC, including Golf Veduta, Brookfield, Queens Meadow, Silver Springs and Whitefield, which all have views of the course. 

DAMAC Properties is also working with some of the most famous luxury brands in the world to bring a unique high-end living concept to AKOYA by DAMAC. Projects in the development include the first Trump Estates in the Middle East region which will offer the kind of exemplary service and quality standards expected only from a Trump Property. 

DAMAC Villas by Paramount will reflect the Hollywood glamour and California cool lifestyle synonymous with the movie house and the FENDI Villas will bring the timeless quality and chic expected from the luxury Italian fashion house. 

A limited number of 200 villas have also been made available in AKOYA Park, with a starting price point of AED 2.1 million. Set within three clusters named after some the largest open parks in the world: ‘Rockwood’, ‘Richmond’, and ‘Topanga’, the villas will offer the unique experience of living in the heart of a Park. 

DAMAC Properties has completed 8,887 units to date and has a further 23,688 units at various stages of progress and planning across the Middle East region.