Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has officially launched construction of the new Meydan One Mall development.

During an evening ceremony attended by VIP guests and regional and international retailers, Sheikh Mohammed led the delegation on site and broke ground on the project, Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

Meydan Chairman Saeed Humaid Al Tayer said: “In our vision for Meydan One we have brought together all the wonders of a retail and leisure experience into one space, making this the number one destination for the UAE and indeed, the Middle East.

“With construction now underway, the Meydan One Mall is scheduled to be completed by 2020, in line with phase 1 of the Meydan One mega development.”

The stand out feature of the mall – which will have 620 shops including two major department stores – will be its retractable roof, measuring 160 metres by 100 metres.

Other key features include the largest dancing water fountain in the world, measuring 380m long, a 1km long indoor ski slope and a 258,300 square foot multi-purpose indoor sports facility located within the Meydan One Mall. Outdoor sports options will include football pitches, mountain biking, walking and running trails, a skateboard park and a BMX park.

The 40,406,320 square foot Meydan One development, located between Meydan and Al Khail Road will be home to 83,000 residents. It will break at least seven world records and feature the 711m tall Dubai One tower, the Meydan One Mall, a civic plaza with dancing water features, a 4km canal, a berth marina, 5.3km bicycle and jogging trails, a 9km boardwalk, a 300m long beach and a heritage village.