Dallas Market Center to Develop and Manage Dubai Global Connect Marketplace

September 29, 2020

Dallas Market Center has signed a multi-year development and management agreement with Dubai Global Connect, the new 10-million-square-foot wholesale marketplace in Dubai opening in 2023. The deal was signed with the Dubai Global Connect ownership team, comprising the Investment Corporation of Dubai in partnership with Dubai South, an emerging master-planned district. 

Currently under construction, Dubai Global Connect will be the first permanent B2B marketplace for consumer goods in the Middle East, open year round to qualified retail buyers and designers, manufacturers and industry professionals. It will feature permanent showrooms, exhibition space, an innovation hub, auditorium, meeting rooms, offices and private warehousing for tenants, as well as wholesale consumer goods including home furnishings, fashion and food.

Located at the crossroads of Dubai’s logistics corridor in the Dubai South district and adjacent to Al Maktoum Airport and Jebel Ali Port, Dubai Global Connect will provide premium services for on-site meetings and events as well as a  digital wholesale trading platform. 

“Establishing a permanent marketplace is perfectly timed as event producers and their attendees cope with reduced travel budgets and the need for smaller, more controlled gatherings,” said Douraid Zaghouani, COO of ICD and chairman of Dubai Global Connect. “To help realize our vision and to develop and manage this monumental project we are excited to have Dallas Market Center on board.”

For the past year, the Dubai Global Connect ownership team has carried out an international search for a suitable partner capable of furthering their vision of a global wholesale marketplace in Dubai. Their criteria included a sustained record of international trade center and trade event management, facility design and management expertise, consumer products industry knowledge and an understanding of international sourcing dynamics.  

“We are pleased to join this respected team creating a global destination for wholesale trade in Dubai, a historic and modern crossroads for commerce,” said Cindy Morris, Dallas Market Center president and CEO. “The market for new products moves faster than ever and demands a marketplace that exceeds modern expectations. We look forward to utilizing our experience, skills and assets in design, development, operations, events and marketing to launch a thoughtful and contemporary marketplace facilitating trade year-round and around the clock.”

 

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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.