Press Release ALDAR FINALISES MAJOR 23 STORE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH APPAREL GROUP A series of UAE firsts bring new brands to Aldar’s malls – strengthening visitor offering Agreement covers Yas Mall, The Mall at WTCAD, Al Jimi Mall - a sign of confidence in Abu Dhabi’s retail sector Abu Dhabi, UAE, 20 June 2019: Aldar Properties PJSC (“Aldar”) retail portfolio, has finalised a major agreement with the global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate, Apparel Group, for 23 stores across three of its popular retail malls, Yas Mall and The Mall at World Trade Centre (The Mall at WTCAD), in Abu Dhabi, and Al Jimi Mall in Al Ain. Representing international brands such as Aldo, Inglot, Tommy Hilfiger, Charles & Keith, Call it Spring, TOMS, Athlete's Co., Skechers, Birkenstock, Dune, Nine West, Anne Klein, amongst others, the first of the 23 stores opened on the 26th May. The deal, a strong confidence indicator for Abu Dhabi’s retail sector, represents over 100,000 square feet of retail space across the three malls. Speaking about the agreement, Talal Al Dhiyebi, Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Properties, said: “We are delighted to welcome 23 new Apparel Group stores, occupying 100,000 square foot of space, to our flagship malls across Abu Dhabi. This agreement represents a solid investment and reaffirms the confidence in our mall destinations to deliver quality footfall and positive future growth. Our relationship with Apparel Group spans many years and their incredible selection of international brands consistently draws visitors to our world-class retail properties. This further expansion of Apparel brand stores across Aldar’s portfolio of retail properties, is great news for all of our visitors and great news for Abu Dhabi, as we continue to elevate our offering for residents and visitors.” Mr. Nilesh Ved, CEO, Apparel Group, said: “Apparel Group manages and operates some of the world’s best-known brands in the region and as such, we are selective about the locations we choose for them. We consider Aldar to be a strong strategic partner to secure a successful future for our brands. We also feel that these three flagship properties are well aligned with our long-term goals. We have great confidence in the Abu Dhabi market and with Aldar retail properties.” With a proven track record of introducing first-to-market retail brands, Apparel Group, with the new lease agreement with Aldar retail properties, has opened the first ever UAE store of CCC, the Polish multi-brand footwear destination, at The Mall WTCAD, as well as the first ever store for the Polish kids fashion brand, SMYK, at Al Jimi Mall, Al Ain. Another first will be the opening of Rituals Cosmetics stores in both Yas Mall and The Mall WTCAD. The Rituals Cosmetics brand is the first brand in the world to combine home and body cosmetics, from luxury body and facial creams to precious mineral make-up, scented candles, pure tea and Soulwear. The new Apparel brand additions will further strengthen the existing retail offerings available to Abu Dhabi visitors, which currently include R&B, the Group’s most popular fashion retailer which offers quality clothing at affordable prices, along with ALDO, the worldwide destination for on-trend fashion footwear and accessories at accessible prices. Similarly, Apparel Group’s home-grown brand, The Shoe Gallery, at Yas Mall, which is the largest footwear store in Abu Dhabi, is home to international brands such as Skechers, Charles & Keith, Crocs, Dune London, Skechers, Naturalizer, TOMS to name but a few. -ENDS- About The World Trade Centre, Abu Dhabi The World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi is a mixed-use urban centre in the heart of Abu Dhabi that appeals to tourists and residents alike. It is managed by Aldar Properties PJSC, the leading real estate developer in Abu Dhabi. The iconic landmark features the Mohammed bin Rashid Tower, which is Abu Dhabi’s tallest residential tower, The Mall at World Trade Centre (The Mall at WTCAD), the downtown lifestyle destination, and The Souk, which offers an authentic Arabian shopping experience. The Souk is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional market in Abu Dhabi, playing host to traditional artefacts, abayas, henna, spices, jewellery, Arabic perfumes, traditional clothing and accessories of all kinds. The Mall at WTCAD provides the convenience of an urban lifestyle via its distinctive entertainment, shopping and dining experiences. The Mall at WTCAD features 230 retail stores, 25 restaurants, 12 fast food outlets, an 8-screen Novo Cinema and The Hub, the licensed fine-dining destination. For speed of access, The Mall at WTCAD has 4,904 car parking spaces, in addition to valet parking. The World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi also hosts the Courtyard by Marriott hotel for business visitors and tourist looking for a new place to stay in Abu Dhabi’s downtown area. With 195 keys, it has been designed with the needs of the modern-day traveller in mind, offering a fine balance of indulgence and practicality. www.facebook.com/WTCAD www.twitter.com/WTCAD www.instagram.com/WTCAD About Yas Mall Yas Mall offers an exciting range of leading international and regional retail and F&B brands, a 20-screen state- of-the-art cinema operated by VOX Cinemas and a family entertainment zone by Fun Works. With the opening of Yas Mall, Aldar has become the largest owner and manager of retail space in Abu Dhabi. Yas Island is situated roughly 15 minutes from the Abu Dhabi International Airport and downtown Abu Dhabi and 45 minutes from Dubai, making it an attractive and accessible destination for both residents and tourists. A selection of seven hotels can be found on the island and a range of top attractions comprising: Yas Hotel, Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Water World, the recently-opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Yas Links Golf Course, and Yas Retail Park which includes IKEA and Ace Hardware. Yas Mall has been awarded the international certifications for ‘Quality Management’, ‘Environmental Management’ and ‘Occupational Health and Safety Standard’ certifications for its Integrated Management System, which demonstrates Yas Mall’s reliable and efficient management system. Mall Ramadan Timings Retail stores (daily): 10:00am – 1:00am Carrefour (daily): 10:00am – 1:00am F&B Outlets: Saturday – Wednesday: 10:00am – 1:00am Thursday & Friday: 10:00am – 2:00am Website: www.yasmall.ae YouTube: http://youtube.com/yasmallad Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yasmallad Twitter and Instagram: @yasmallad Hashtag: #YasMall About Al Jimi Mall: Al Jimi Mall is Al Ain’s first and favourite shopping and entertainment destination offering families and shoppers a wide variety of their favourite brands in the heart of the Garden City. An extensive renovation and expansion programme has added a further 100 stores, including an 8-screen VOX cinema and a retail park, bringing the total store count to over 200 shops and the leasable area to 76,000 sqm. The expansion to the north side of the Mall, the ‘Retail Park’ consists of 10 big box retail units with sizes range from 1,500m to 6,500 sqm designed in a flexible way to accommodate different retailers’ area requirements, family dining and coffee shops, an event plaza and a front-door on grade parking for more than a thousand additional cars. About Apparel Group LLC Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate residing at the crossroads of the modern economy – Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Today, the Apparel Group caters to thousands of eager shoppers through its more than 1750+ stores and 75+ brands across all platforms employing 12,000 multicultural staff covering four continents. Apparel group has carved its strong presence not only in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia but opened thriving gateways to market in India, South Africa, Poland, Singapore, Jordan, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Additionally, clear strategies are in place to enter emerging markets such as Hungary, Pakistan, Egypt and Philippines. Apparel Group Operates Brands from around the world, originating from USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and include leading names in Fashion, Footwear & Lifestyle such as Tommy Hilfiger, Juicy Couture, Skechers, Nautica, Aldo, Nine West, Aeropostale to name a few and other key brands include Tim Hortons, Cold Stone Creamery, Inglot, Rituals etc. The Apparel Group owes its amazing growth to the vision and guidance of its dynamic Chairman, Nilesh Ved, who has taken the company from strength to strength since its inception in the last two decades. www.appareluae.com For further information, please contact: Louise Desfrenne at Q Communications Email: [email protected] Mob: +971 56 937 3451 .