The Hangout by Mall of the Emirates is a new indoor-outdoor precinct that Majid Al Futtaim has introduced inside the Dubai shopping centre. Majid Al Futtaim frames it as one connected destination, where play, meals and social time share the same floor rather than sit in separate corners. It belongs to a wider Mall of the Emirates expansion valued at AED 5 billion, among the larger retail investments the city has seen since the centre opened more than two decades ago.

The design starts from a shift in how people use a mall. Shoppers now look for reasons to stay, not only to buy. Khalifa Bin Braik, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, put the logic plainly, saying destinations are “competing for people’s time as much as their spend.” The precinct answers that by setting four entertainment venues beside 18 dining outlets, so a single trip can hold a game, a meal and an evening with friends.

Khalifa Bin Braik, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, said:

“Mall of the Emirates has been defining retail and lifestyle experiences in Dubai for more than two decades. Our ambition now is to ensure its next chapter is as transformative as its first.

“Today, destinations are competing for people’s time as much as their spend. The Hangout responds to that shift by bringing entertainment, dining and social experiences together in a way that creates more reasons for people to visit, stay and connect.

“As part of our AED 5 billion investment in Mall of the Emirates, we are not simply introducing new concepts; we are evolving how the destination is experienced. The Hangout is an important expression of that ambition and of our long-term commitment to ensuring Mall of the Emirates continues to evolve alongside the communities it serves.”

Inside The Hangout by Mall of the Emirates

The Mall of the Emirates entertainment line-up rests on four concepts, each built around a different kind of play. Activate, billed as the world’s first active gaming experience, opens in October 2026 after its debut at City Centre Mirdif. It spreads across 12 light-up rooms and more than 50 interactive challenges, and it is open to guests aged six and above. Teams move through the rooms, solve tasks under time pressure and track their results on a global leaderboard.

SOCO follows in the fourth quarter of 2026. The 2,700 square metre venue centres on social play, with bowling lanes, simulators billed as a UAE first, augmented-reality darts, karaoke and private party rooms. Food sits inside the concept rather than beside it, so groups can eat without leaving the floor.

A space for families

Explorers arrives in the first quarter of 2027, also carried over from City Centre Mirdif. The 2,500 square metre space targets children aged one to twelve, with three play zones that include suspended net climbs and water play tied to simple science. Workshops in cooking, woodworking and arts run alongside the free play. It deepens the family entertainment Dubai parents look for close to home, pairing open play with guided skill-building.

Magic Planet forms the fourth concept and will reopen in a reworked form in 2027. Majid Al Futtaim is rebuilding one of its best-known family brands for a newer audience, keeping familiar rides while adding features aimed at today’s visitors. Together, the four venues position The Hangout by Mall of the Emirates as a new entertainment destination in Dubai rather than a single attraction.

A new dining district

Dining runs through the whole precinct. The line-up adds new restaurants at Mall of the Emirates across several cuisines, with 12 restaurants and four kiosks spanning Indian, Levantine, Italian and Pan-Asian cooking. Confirmed names include Fatt Pundit, Crunch, Apollo, Asma, Junk Smash Burger, Public Pizzeria, Crystal Jade Noodle Bar and Feels, with more to come. Two of the entertainment venues also hold their own food outlets, tying meals and play even closer together.

During Dubai’s cooler months, the precinct extends into the centre’s first outdoor F&B courtyard. Operable façades open the indoor floor onto a garden social space, so diners can move between the two without a hard break. A climate-controlled walkway will also link the precinct to New Covent Garden Theatre and Fashion Dome, smoothing the route across the wider entertainment district. These features position The Hangout by Mall of the Emirates as a dining and social district in its own right.

What the project signals

The Hangout by Mall of the Emirates forms the first large piece of the AED 5 billion plan to open. Its broader programme also covers a luxury wellness club, further dining precincts, a new theatre and quieter changes such as barrierless parking and better accessibility. Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment and Lifestyle, pointed to demand for play that is “active, social and shared” as the reason behind the mix.

Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment and Lifestyle, said:

“Entertainment is evolving as customers increasingly seek experiences that are active, social and shared. The Hangout responds by bringing together Activate, our home-grown concepts SOCO and Explorers, and a reimagined Magic Planet for a new generation.

“Together, they create one connected destination where customers can play, dine and discover more. It represents the future of location-based entertainment: greater choice, more reasons to return and long-term value for the wider destination.”

The phased opening runs through 2026 and into early 2027, which gives the centre time to add venues without closing its doors. For Majid Al Futtaim, the aim is steady: more reasons to visit, longer stays and repeat trips. Shoppers get a mall that treats a day out as the product, not a side effect of buying.