Arada unveils East Boulevard at Aljada, a retail and dining destination bringing new brands to Sharjah
News: 28 June 2022
- First section of 2.2km tree-lined avenue in Emirate’s largest megaproject opens its doors for popular retail, F&B and services brands
- Five Guys, Origami Sushi, Ben’s Cookies and Bosporus all make Sharjah debut
- Anchor brands at 75,000 sq ft space include supermarket giant Spinneys and nursery Maple Bear
Arada has opened the first retail cluster at its fast-growing Aljada community, welcoming a range of global brands and local favourites to Sharjah for the first time. The 75,000 square foot space represents the first section of East Boulevard to be opened. One of two main avenues located in the megaproject, East Boulevard stretches for 2.2 kilometres offering a range of retail, dining and services options along a wide, walkable tree-lined street.
The newly opened section of East Boulevard is located on the ground floor of the four premium Misk buildings, and is anchored by a Spinneys supermarket, the popular chain’s fourth store in Sharjah, as well as an outlet from the worldwide coffee house company Starbucks.
Among the international brands making their Sharjah debut in East Boulevard are: Five Guys, the well-known US burger house; Turkish restaurant chain Bosporus; and British cookie brand Ben’s Cookies. Famed Lebanese ice cream brand Bachir is also opening its first outlet in the UAE at the Aljada location, while Japanese lifestyle department store Mumuso will also have a shop there.
There are also a number of locally owned brands opening their doors in Misk Boulevard including: Japanese outlet Origami Sushi; Moon Slice Pizza; Life Pharmacy; and popular Sharjah-based café Hoof Café.
Further brands and services scheduled to open in the coming months include: Canadian nursery Maple Bear; Virtuality, a virtual reality space; Racks Café, which contains a collection of board games; popular Saudi vegan restaurant Wabi Sabi; Indian restaurant brand Gazebo; flower shop Seasons Floristry; and local coffee shop brand Late Lounge.
The remaining sections of East Boulevard, which run past the Nest student housing complex and the East Village district, will both open in the first quarter of 2023.
Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said: “East Boulevard is another step forward in our mission to provide the ideal lifestyle for residents and visitors at this rapidly growing destination, and we have worked hard to secure an exciting range of brands, many of which are entering the Sharjah market for the first time.
“This carefully curated mix of tenants has been designed to support the thousands of residents who are now moving into Aljada, but visitors from across Sharjah and further beyond as well.”
The opening of East Boulevard follows the completion of a number of different parts of the Aljada master plan, including all 1,482 homes in the first residential phase of Aljada, the first phase of the SABIS® International School-Aljada (SIS-Aljada) and the first phase of the Madar family entertainment district.
Spread over a 24 million square foot area, Aljada is Sharjah’s largest ever project and a transformational destination for the Emirate. Aljada contains numerous residential districts, as well as extensive hospitality, entertainment, sporting, educational, healthcare components and a business park, all set within a green urban master plan.
With an estimated population of 70,000 on completion, and a catchment area that includes Sharjah city and much of northern Dubai, retail also plays an important role in the Aljada master plan. In the Madar central entertainment district alone, there will be almost 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable space dedicated to retail, F&B, services and leisure tenants.
