Our entry on the Top 5 Malls in Riyadh has been the consistent most favorite and most visited entry in the blog. We're not surprised actually, considering that shopping, or as we always like to term it "retail therapy", has always been the number one past time of ladies in the Kingdom. Not to mention the men who's also into shopping whether for themselves or for their loved ones.
The malls in Saudi Arabia featured in our top 5 entry has long since improved. Kingdom Mall has seen the openings of more popular brands in their floors like H&M, GAP, and American Eagle while Hayat Mall and Sahara Mall are regaining their accessibility after the completed works in King Abdullah Road. They just have to finish the King Abdulaziz Road and they'll be on their way to the top spot. However, even if these malls have added new stores and fixed roads surrounding them, there are malls that are fast inching their way to the consciousness of consumers. We shine the spotlight on these shopping centers on this second entry on Riyadh's top malls.
Who hasn't been to Panorama Mall? C'mon, it's one of the most popular malls in Riyadh already and I bet you've visited it once or twice (or more than ten times)! Panorama Mall along Takhasussi Street is gaining quite a popularity these days. I must admit it should be in the Top 5 Malls entry because just by looking how this mall came to be, it could've easily edged out Faisaliah Mall. Anyway, it's here now. What I love about Panorama Mall is their stores are organized into clusters. There's an area for luxury brands and for high-street brands (upper middle class retailers). The food court and amusement park also have clear boundaries. (It's unfortunate that there was an accident in Metropolis a few months back though... if you remember in a past entry, we've tried some of the rides in Metropolis.) There's a center for ladies and there's a huge toy store for kids. The men would have to settle themselves in Jarir Bookstore.
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| Photo from Khalid Al Ghe... Panoramio |
Pros
City center
Modern, unique design that is different from other malls
Wide, brightly-lit
Luxury brands (Erfe, Aura, Longchamp, Michael Kors, Furla, Swarovski, etc.)
Popular brands (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Desigual, Pull&Bear, New Yorker, etc.)
Panorama For Women (Curves Gym, Snips Salon, Apollo, etc.)
Food Kiosks (Laduree macarons, Pappa Roti, Martha's Cakes, Pain D'Or, etc.)
Specialty restaurants outside (Trader Vic's, Lamborghini Cafe, Cacao Sampaka, etc.)
Hamley's Toy Store
Jarir Bookstore
Danube Hypermarket
Good view of the street from the food court
Cons
Located in a busy intersection
Quite a walk to go to stores on opposite sides
Metropolis Time Factory (needs to be thoroughly checked)
Food outlets in food court are lacking; not extensive
2. Al Qasr Mall
The newest and one of the biggest malls in Riyadh has opened. I recently visited Al Qasr Mall, located in Suweidi District and I was amazed! The mall was big and popular brands are also present. Their food court needs more food kiosks but their entertainment area has good rides and games and is open to both children and adults. Believe me, my brother had to remind me that I'm 28 years old when he saw me staring at the well-lit, colorful carousel. Dare I say it? Riyadh Gallery will soon have a counterpart (a worthy rival) in the other end of King Fahd Road when all the stores open in Al-Qasr Mall.
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| Photo from Skyscrapercity |
Pros
Still new; wide and huge (250,000 sqm, 4-storey high)
Well-lit and bright
Department Stores (Centrepoint, Iconic, Citymax)
Carrefour and SACO
Popular Brands (H&M, New Look, etc.)
Huge amusement center for kids and adults
Ice Wonderland Park (+ skating rink)
Huge parking area
Cons
A bit far from the city center
Traffic in King Fahd Road
Being new, most stores and food outlets are not yet open
There are two Othaim Malls in Riyadh. One is in Khurais Road while one is in Rabwa. I like the latter better (thus, it's the one in my list). It's been quite a long time since I've visited Othaim Mall in Rabwa but I remember how surprised I was to find it stocked with popular high-street brands like H&M, New Look, Suite Blanco (just Blanco before), and MNG even if it's located in Exit 14(?). (My mind immediately registers anything located in "EXIT..." as FAR. Far from the city center, that is). I enjoyed strolling in the third floor where the Saffori Land is. Their food court dine-in areas also has a good view of the street below thanks to its glass walls.
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| Photo via Flickr |
Pros
Huge (+ structure shaped like a boat's bow)
Department stores (Centrepoint, Citymax, Red Tag)
Popular brands (MNG, New Look, H&M, etc.)
Specialty shops (ex. Daiso)
Othaim Hypermarket
Saffori Land
Ice World
Events in the mall's activity area
Huge parking lot
Cons
A bit far from the city center
Traffic in the parking lots/entrance
Crowded
Shops are not evenly spaced; some looks too small and gets crowded
Food court where food kiosks are needs better light and more space
4. Salaam Mall
I haven't been to Salaam Mall and I'm already putting it in this list. Must be a good mall right? Considering that it's the only major retail center in the southwest district of Riyadh, I think Salaam Mall deserves an automatic entry in this list. Plus, it's not lacking in popular brands too. We heard there's a gold and silver souq in the premises? If you have any comments about Salaam Mall (especially if you frequent this mall), The Pink Tarha would appreciate your feedback. ;)
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| Photo from Fare Construction |
Pros
Less crowded
Adequate parking lots
Popular brands (Zara, Stradivarius, New Look, Bershka, etc.)
Hyperpanda
Gold and silver souq
Sparky's Amusement Center
Cons
A bit far from the city center
*more feedback once we get the chance to visit the mall ourselves*
This mall is in this list because of the clients it mostly caters to - men. If The Pink Tarha ladies would go out, we wouldn't pick Localizer Mall to go to because it only has a few (almost none) stores that offer clothing and accessories for women. But since it has stores for men and it houses one of our favorite steak houses in the city (Outback Steakhouse), we couldn't just ignore Localizer. So for men who's fond of shopping, here you go.
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| Photo from joelmdiego (Flickr) |
Pros
Easy to find; located in Tahlia Street
Less crowded
Brands for men (Zara, Celio, Giordano, etc.)
Good restaurants (Outback Steakhouse, Diamond Restaurant, Vapiano [near], Second Cup)
Fitness First
In Motion (gym for kids)
Cons
Busy location
Few choices in food court
Small mall (only 1 floor for stores)
So there you have it... more malls to visit! Let us know which one is your favorite. More mall details below. ~ Sundrenched
Panorama Mall
Takhasussi Street
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
T: +966-1-2057401
F: +966-1-2057333
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Al Qasr Mall
Suwaidi District (location map)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
T: +966-1-4515600
F: +966-1-4515505
M: +966-563331153
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Othaim Mall - Rabwa
Eastern Ring Road, Al Rabwa
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
T: +966-1-4456665
Twitter: @OthaimMalls
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Salaam Mall
Western Ring Road, Exit 27, Nimar District
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (location map)
T: +966-1-2472222
F: +966-1-2471999
E: salaammall@arabiancentres.com
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Localizer Mall
Tahlia Street cor. Al Hamdan Street
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (location map)
T: +966-1-5165344
E: info@localizermall.com
5 had something to say:
Is the incident at panorama mall still prevalent? Are single men still not allowed inside the mall even on regular days? Thank you and more power to you ladies
@Anonymous 11:08AM: We are not aware of incidents in Panorama Mall recently. We know though that the ban on allowing single men on the mall only on certain days has been lifted a few years back. Have you had any problem in entering Panorama Mall lately? There might be some mall who do that, based on internal policies.
honestly i think the old malls are better than these new malls, sahara has been and always will be my fav mall :)i love how it has all my avorite stores and i always by my makeup from there, i find it cheaper :) love your blog!!
I believe you missed out Riyadh gallery!
That's because it's already in The Top 5 Malls in Riyadh. :) http://www.thepinktarha.com/2011/02/top-5-malls-in-riyadh.html
This entry is the "next" on the top 5. ;)
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