Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall developer with properties across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, has opened a new lifestyle and retail hub in Sharjah, the third most-populous city in the UAE behind only Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to a Gulf News report.

The 2.6 billion dirham ($708 million) City Centre Al Zahia connects to the developer’s one-million-square-metre residential community, Al Zahia, and will feature retailers such as Steve Madden, Pandora, and regional-favourites Ajmal and Damas. For nine retailers, including Lululemon and Crate and Barrel, the mall marks their first foray into Sharjah.

On top of retail, the mall will also feature children’s play areas, an art zone, theatre and sports centres, as well as the Tom & Jerry Cheese Town.

Fuad Sharaf, the managing director of UAE shopping malls for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, pointed to Sharjah being home to more than 18 museums, as well as the Sharjah Biennial, the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, which made the connection between culture and the new development natural.

“With the arts being so vital to life and culture in the emirate, it is only fitting that City Centre Al Zahia reflects this vision, becoming a focal point and pillar of the community while offering people a platform to entertain and educate themselves in equal measure,” he said.