DIFC is about to expand: Here's what you can expect

By next year there will be space for 200 more shops and restaurants in DIFC…

So remember how World Trade Centre is set for a huge overhaul that will completely extend the neighborhood? Well DIFC is getting its own extension too, via Gate Avenue.

The Dhs1 billion Gate Avenue project will open up late next year, and it will extend 880 metres along the suburb of DIFC, connecting the already-established parts of the financial centre together.

It will link the current Gate and Village districts in the north of DIFC to the residential and commercial developments in the South. 

There will be more than 200 restaurants and shops in the new development, as well as an iconic and modern mosque.

In total Gate Avenue will have three zones (all connected by an open-air promenade). The North Zone will start near the Ritz Carlton DIFC and will have high-end shopping and luxury restaurants. The Central Zone will feature plenty of high-street brands and will have both al fresco and indoor restaurants (this will be very close to the current Financial Centre metro station and will add to the shops available for commuters).

The South Zone will mostly cater to the residents of DIFC and will have handy facilities and services for families (so we imagine that will be everything from nurseries to supermarkets).

The development will also add a lot of green space to the area:

DIFC has plans to triple in size by 2024 (21,000 people currently work there). Gate Avenue is a big part of that, as is ICC Brookfield place, which is also under construction right now. Read all about that here.

We’ll keep you updated on how the project progresses and let you know when we have any more details. Watch this space. 

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Photos: Dubai Media Office.