UAE: Once a 'second home' for residents, Sharjah's iconic Safeer Mall closes after 19 years
A prominent Sharjah shopping destination, Safeer Mall, has shut down, Khaleej Times can confirm.
The mall, which became an iconic landmark in the bustling city, closed its doors two months ago, a call centre agent at the Al Safeer Group of Companies told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
The mall's blue signage, including its name and logo, has been removed from the building's facade. The mall on Sharjah's Al Khan Road had three floors and two basement parking levels.
The shopping destination, which was built in 2005 by Al Safeer Groups, had become a go-to spot for Sharjah residents and a geographical marker for expats and motorists who have been calling the UAE their home for over two decades. What originally started out as a discount centre was later expanded by the group and renamed Safeer Mall.
Afsha Noori, a Dubai resident who started out in the UAE by moving to Sharjah 24 years ago, was shocked when she learned that the mall had closed.
'I found out sometime before the Eid Al Fitr weekend. Safeer Mall reminds me of my early motherhood days when I had my firstborn child. I lived in Sharjah for six years, during which Safeer Mall became our second home.
'We would go to the mall for most items that were needed for the house. From daily food to crockery and other household items, it was our one stop for all our needs,' said the 48-year-old Indian expat, who would spend a minimum of three to four hours at the mall.
The prices and discounts offered at the mall were a big catch for Noori. 'It was also the best place to take our guests for their shopping trips, as it offered a variety of goods at the best prices. We will miss our days at Safeer Mall.'
'Surprise dance performances'
Before the UAE became a hub for its extravagant malls and countless shopping options, Safeer Mall defined a shopping complex for many residents who moved to the UAE. For Puja M, the mall 'had everything'.
'Safeer Mall was one of those first destinations for us, the early 2000s kids, that really captured the essence of a shopping complex. It had groceries, but it also had entertainment shows for the kids. It had dining options, and it also had a range of toys to choose from. The place really had everything.
'It's quite nostalgic because nowadays you have fountain shows, indoor waterfalls, marching bands in malls, world-record breaking performances with advanced tech, but nothing quite beats the feeling of going with your family to shop for groceries, and then being surprised by dance performances or acrobat-like acts. This (performances in malls) was all new to us then, not normal like they are for kids nowadays,' said the 23-year-old expat, as she recalled her childhood days in Sharjah.
It's the youngsters, who are currently in their early 20s, for whom the mall holds key memories.
During her childhood, Varisha Shahrukh, an 18-year-old Pakistani expat living in the UAE, attended Wesgreen School while living in Sharjah.
'I am quite sad to hear the news of its closing down. My father used to go to Safeer Mall to buy uniforms for my school.'
A go-to place for visitors
It was not only residents who frequented the mall but also people visiting the UAE.
For Nilofer Sheikh, who has been travelling from India to the UAE since 2001 — after her daughter married and moved to the UAE — Safeer Mall became a weekly spot to spend time.
'Be it to buy groceries or just get a break from house responsibilities, it was a great place to visit. We lived in Rolla then, and it was very convenient to visit the place. I would also go there on my own using public transport.'
Even though her daughter later moved from the emirate, Nilofer said she'll always remember her trips to the mall, which were more than just for shopping sprees; they had become a way to spend more time with her daughter and grandchildren.
Safeer Groups began its venture in the UAE in 1985 with Shop N Save supermarkets in Sharjah. In 1997, the group began a discount market in the emirate, followed by the opening of Safeer Market in Nahda in 2000. It was in 2005 that Safeer Mall opened its doors to customers located on the Dubai-Sharjah highway.
Currently, the group owns hypermarkets and marts across the city as well as in Dubai, in addition to a Safeer Mall in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. Century Mall, another shopping outlet located in Dubai's Hor Al Anz East, is operated by the group, which was started in 2003.
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