What Sahara Centre does

Sahara Centre is a privately held shopping mall operator headquartered on Al Nahda Street in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, that opened in February 2002 and has operated continuously for over 20 years as a leading retail destination in the Dubai-Sharjah corridor. The asset is a multi-floor super-regional mall (basement through second floor) housing more than 240 stores, entertainment venues, and service outlets, including anchors such as Geant Hypermarket, Novo Cinemas, Adventureland family entertainment centre, Spooky - Dungeons of Fear, Altitude Arena bowling, and a wide mix of international and regional fashion (Nike, PUMA, Levi's, Aldo, Charles & Keith, Victoria's Secret, LC Waikiki, Max Fashion), F&B (McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Hardee's), banking (Emirates NBD, FAB, Mashreq), and telecom (Du, Etisalat) tenants.

Name

Sahara Centre

Legal name

Sahara Centre

Website

https://saharacentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sahara Centre is a privately held super-regional shopping mall in Sharjah, UAE, operating since 2002 with over 240 retail, dining, entertainment, and service tenants serving families across the Dubai-Sharjah highway corridor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharjah

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Leasing: Sahara Centre generates revenue primarily through leasing retail space to tenants including fashion brands, dining outlets, entertainment venues, and service providers. Tenants pay rent for storefronts throughout the mall.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sahara Centre operates a large-scale physical shopping mall in Sharjah, UAE, leasing retail space to over 240 tenants across fashion, electronics, jewelry, cosmetics, home furnishings, toys, and department store categories. The mall also houses a wide range of food and beverage outlets, entertainment venues including cinemas and family amusement attractions, and essential services such as banking, telecom, and healthcare, serving as a one-stop destination for families in the Dubai-Sharjah region.

Product overview

Sahara Centre is a leading shopping mall in the UAE located in Sharjah, operating since February 2002. The mall offers a comprehensive portfolio of retail, dining, entertainment, and service offerings across multiple floors. The product ecosystem includes: (1) Physical retail spaces with over 200 stores across categories including fashion (ladies, men's, children's), electronics, jewelry, cosmetics, home furnishings, toys, and department stores; (2) Entertainment venues including Adventureland family amusement centre, Novo Cinemas, Spooky horror attraction, and Altitude Arena bowling; (3) Diverse dining options with restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, and sweet shops; (4) Essential services including banking (Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreq Bank), healthcare (pharmacies, fitness), beauty salons, and miscellaneous services (DHL, Aramex, telecom); (5) Digital services through the official mobile app (iOS/Android), online store directory, newsletter subscription, and customer service support. The mall provides ancillary services such as parking with ANPR systems, gift cards (AED 50-500 denominations), lost & found, WiFi access, porter and delivery services. Opening hours: All Stores Mon-Thu 10AM-11PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-12AM; Food Outlets Mon-Thu 10AM-12AM, Fri-Sun 10AM-1AM.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sahara Centre Mobile App Official mobile application for Sahara Centre shopping mall, available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store, providing digital access to store directory, promotions, news, and mall information for visitors.
• Mall Gift Cards Gift card solution available for purchase at Sahara Centre customer service counters in denominations of AED 50, 100, 200, and 500 for use across mall tenants.
• Parking Services Hassle-free parking service providing ample parking spaces for mall visitors, supported by ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems for vehicle recognition and streamlined entry/exit.
• Adventureland Family entertainment centre at Sahara Centre offering rides and fun activities for children. Operating hours: Mon-Thu 10AM-11PM, Fri-Sat 10AM-12AM.
• Novo Cinemas Movie cinema located inside Sahara Centre offering the latest film releases for mall visitors.
• Spooky - Dungeons of Fear UAE's largest horror attraction featuring a dungeon fear experience inside Sahara Centre. Operating hours: Sun-Thu 10AM-11PM, Fri-Sat 10AM-12AM.
• Altitude Arena Bowling Bowling alley and billiards entertainment venue located inside Sahara Centre for mall visitors.
• Dining & Restaurants Wide variety of dining options at Sahara Centre including cafes, fast food outlets, restaurants, and sweet shops. Food outlets operate Mon-Thu 10AM-12AM, Fri-Sun 10AM-1AM.
• EZ Taxi In-Mall Train Kids' entertaining ride on an in-mall train operated by EZ Taxi, traveling around a designated area on the first floor of Sahara Centre for a minimal fee.
• Store Directory Comprehensive A-to-Z directory of all stores and services available at Sahara Centre, accessible via the mall website.
• WiFi Service Free internet WiFi service available for Sahara Centre visitors upon sign-up.
• Porter Service Porter service available for Sahara Centre visitors to assist with carrying items during their shopping visit.
• Delivery Service Delivery service available for Sahara Centre visitors to deliver purchased items to their location.

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yas Mall: Major super-regional mall on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi operated by Miral. Comparable as a multi-category retail and entertainment destination with cinema, family entertainment, and dining anchors.
• Mall of the Emirates: Major UAE super-regional shopping mall in Dubai operated by Majid Al Futtaim. Comparable through multi-category retail, dining, entertainment (including indoor ski), and similar luxury to mid-market tenant mix as Sahara Centre.
• City Centre Deira: Established Dubai shopping mall operated by Majid Al Futtaim. Comparable retail leasing model targeting families with mixed fashion, electronics, F&B, and entertainment tenants.
• Dubai Marina Mall: Mid-sized UAE shopping mall with a comparable fashion, dining, cinema, and entertainment mix. Competes for similar middle-market brand tenants and family shoppers.
• Dubai Mall: Largest mall in the UAE, operated by Emaar Malls. Comparable as a multi-floor retail, dining, and entertainment destination including Aquarium, ice rink, and cinema; competes for the same regional shopper and tenant pool.
• City Centre Mirdif: Major UAE shopping mall operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Dubai, with similar family-oriented positioning, department store anchor, and mix of fashion, dining, and entertainment offerings.
• BurJuman: Long-established Dubai shopping mall with a comparable mix of fashion, jewelry, electronics, and dining tenants, plus a strong family catchment base similar to Sahara Centre's northern emirates positioning.
• Wafi Mall: Dubai shopping mall with Egyptian-themed architecture and a mixed retail, dining, entertainment, and leisure offering. Comparable mid-market department store-led tenant mix and family-oriented positioning.
• Ibn Battuta Mall: Large themed Dubai shopping mall operated by Nakheel Malls. Comparable in scale, multi-floor retail and entertainment mix, and family catchment positioning in the Dubai commuter belt.

Regional players

• Doha Festival City: Major super-regional mall in Qatar operated by Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate. Comparable multi-category retail, dining, and entertainment format across the GCC, though in a different national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@saharacentre?lang=en
• Xx.com/saharacentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sahara Centre