Destination Place Making: A Consultant’s Perspective on the Future of Retail Malls

Throughout my career, which has consisted of senior C-Level roles with Unilever in Arabia, Egypt & Australia, as well as CEO at Aujan Coca Cola Beverages before a major career pivot in 2005 to Global Executive Director (Corporate Office) at Emaar Properties, Managing Director at Omniyat Properties and finally to an entrepreneurial shift to founding Andarakis, a hybrid management consultancy and creative / branding agency in 2010, I have pursued the chase to bring strategy to creative and creative to strategy.

The shift to Emaar Properties in 2005 was a pivotal moment, with the company in the midst of a major transformation, evolving from a residential developer in Dubai to a multi-asset, multi-geography lifestyle brand, which focused on real estate. That period coincided with the emergence of Emaar Malls, which included The Dubai Mall, The Dubai Marina Mall as well as Community Malls within our residential enclaves of Emirates Hills, Arabian Ranches and Dubai Hills. Working as a central support to the Retail team in ensuring a successful and high impact launch of The Dubai Mall was a wonderful experience for both myself and my team, building the persona of the Mall, creating the brand story for the Mall and ultimately the brand strategy and identity to launch on the global stage.

Within Andarakis, we have had the pleasure of working across The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon with all of the major Retail Mall owners including MAF, Al Futtaim, Al Othaim, RED Malls, Red Sea Markets, and Line Investments, across visioning, place-making, experience design, brand strategy and identity and finally activation and events. With these interactions, many lessons have been garnered along the journey, and at the core, the best performing malls are destinations where ‘Shopping is only the beginning’ of the experience for the customer.

What Retail Assets Can No Longer Rely On

Working closely with mall owners, developers, operators and investors across the region, I’ve seen one truth become impossible to ignore and that centers around retail assets can no longer rely on location, tenancy mix, or brand names alone. Today, the real differentiator is Destination Place Making—and it’s fast becoming the strategic core of successful retail environments.

From a consultancy standpoint, the shift is clear. Consumers aren’t motivated by transactional visits alone, they’re motivated by meaning, identity and experience. When we collaborate and engage with clients, we start the programming by exploring beyond the asset and into the behaviour of the community around it. We believe that every great destination starts with understanding people.

The process is part science, part creativity. We analyse spending patterns, heat maps, customer journeys and behavioural data—but the real value comes from translating these insights into environments that feel alive. Whether it’s integrating culture, elevating F&B, enhancing public spaces, or curating entertainment and wellness zones, the goal is always the same — create a destination that earns visitation.

What I often share with clients is that place making is not purely a design exercise—it’s a commercial strategy. When done intentionally, it improves dwell time, increases spend per visit, strengthens retailer performance, and ultimately lifts asset value. It also positions the mall as a community anchor, not just a retail venue.

The Work That Truly Transforms Retail Assets

The most rewarding part of our work at Andarakis is helping clients curate this strategic shift—aligning vision, data, tenant mix, experience layers, and operational models into a coherent destination strategy. When the right elements come together, you can feel the transformation immediately. The mall stops being a centre people pass through, and becomes a place they choose.

For me, that’s the future of retail – real estate assets designed with purpose, curated with insight, and delivered with real commercial intelligence. And it’s the kind of consultancy work that continues to energise and inspire me.