Mall of the Emirates is betting that the next big reason to visit a shopping centre has little to do with shopping. Majid Al Futtaim has announced The Hangout, an indoor-outdoor leisure and dining precinct that will roll out gradually between October 2026 and 2027, and the line-up is heavily weighted toward entertainment and food.
The four entertainment venues will open one at a time. Activate comes first, slated for this month, with 12 light-up rooms and more than 50 challenges that mix physical activity with game-style tech. It is pitched at ages six and up. SOCO follows in the fourth quarter, occupying 2,700 square metres with bowling, augmented-reality darts, karaoke, private VIP rooms and simulators the company describes as UAE-firsts. Explorers, a 2,500-square-metre play space for children aged one to 12, is due in the first quarter of 2027, with net climbs, STEM-themed water play and workshops covering cooking, woodworking and art. A reworked Magic Planet closes out the schedule sometime in 2027, though no firmer date has been given.
Regular City Centre Mirdif visitors will spot the pattern. Activate and Explorers have already launched there, and SOCO has a Mirdif venue planned as well. This is less about inventing new attractions and more about Majid Al Futtaim rolling proven concepts into its flagship property, a sensible if unadventurous move.
Food takes up the other half of the plan. The 18 dining experiences break down into 12 restaurants, four kiosks and two food offers built into the entertainment venues, so the headline number is a little generous. Confirmed names so far include Fatt Pundit, Crystal Jade Noodle Bar, Public Pizzeria, Junk Smash Burger, Apollo, Asma, Crunch and Feels, with more still to be revealed. A seasonal courtyard will open onto the indoor area through façades that can be fully opened, giving diners an outdoor option during Dubai’s cooler months. Its capacity and operating season have not been specified.
The Hangout will also be connected by a climate-controlled walkway to the New Covent Garden Theatre and Fashion Dome. All of this sits within the mall’s AED 5 billion overhaul, which also covers a luxury wellness club, more dining zones, a new theatre, and accessibility upgrades including barrierless parking.
