IKEA Middle East

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Sector

Retail

Project Roles

Design, Executive Architecture, Interior Design, Engineering, Construction Supervision

Completion

Dubai: 2006; Abu Dhabi: 2010; Doha: 2012; Cairo: 2014; Manama: 2018; Dammam: 2019

GFA

Dubai: 24,500 m²; Abu Dhabi: 32,000 m²; Doha: 75,000 m²; Cairo: 92,000 m²; Manama: 40,516 m²; Dammam: 41,397 m²

Contract

Traditional

Locations

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Cairo, Manama, Dammam

Client

Al Futtaim Group Real Estate / IKEA Saudi Arabia

BSBG is the long-term partner architect for Middle East retail giant Al Futtaim Group, tasked with bringing to the region a series of IKEA stores. The Swedish furniture giant now has a presence in five countries throughout MENA thanks to this exclusive partnership, which dates back to 2006.

IKEA Dubai Festival City

The first IKEA to open in the UAE, the Festival City project set the standard and enhanced BSBG’s reputation for project delivery in the region. A demanding project schedule, which involved adherence to the rigid international IKEA standards alongside obtaining authority approvals from Dubai Municipality and the complexities involved in that aspect, were particularly challenging features. The resultant store has become something of a landmark for Dubai, seamlessly integrated into the BSBG atrium design that connects the entire Dubai Festival City retail experience.

IKEA Abu Dhabi

BSBG delivered the new Abu Dhabi IKEA store on Yas Island in 2010. The store became the largest in the UAE, as the former site in Abu Dhabi Marina Mall was considered too restrictive to meet the growing appetite in the country for the Swedish furniture brand. The fast track programme ensured the new store was able to open a year after initial concept.

IKEA Doha Festival City

Led by BSBG, the first IKEA development in Qatar was eagerly anticipated and upon delivery received the accolade of Commercial Project of the Year at the Construction Week Qatar Awards 2012. The project enabled BSBG to fuse the vision of the client with the expertise and knowledge of delivering this scale of project to produce the award-winning development on-time and on-budget.

IKEA Cairo Festival City

The first IKEA to be opened in Africa, the Cairo Festival City development received the accolade of Best Built and Future Retail Project in the Middle East at the Cityscape Awards of 2014. Similarly to Al Futtaim’s Festival City masterplan developments in Dubai and Qatar, the large scale IKEA warehouse takes prominence as a key component of the finished destination.

IKEA Manama

The first IKEA store in Bahrain became the largest of all the IKEAs in the GCC when it was opened in September 2018. As the regional expert in understanding the complexities of the Swedish furniture giant’s high standards in terms of construction, and matching these with the local authority regulations and requirements, BSBG led this project through design and construction. This became the sixth IKEA project for the group.

IKEA Dammam

The latest IKEA to be introduced to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the first in the country in which BSBG has taken an involvement. The group led the project towards completion in 2019. The first IKEA was introduced to Saudi back in 1983, and the huge demand for the Swedish furniture in the Kingdom saw the fourth store opened in Dammam, Saudi’s sixth largest city.

Project Team

Kevin Harper

Senior Partner

Chris Brown

Director

Shajahan Shahib

Associate

Virudchalam Thangavel

Project Manager

IKEA Middle East

Project Team

Kevin Harper

Chris Brown

Shajahan Shahib

Virudchalam Thangavel

IKEA Bahrain - BSBG begins work on construction

IKEA Bahrain officially opens today!

Festival Plaza opens to the public

The Dubai Mall Zabeel

The Beach

Dubai Festival City Retail

IKEA Middle East

Project Team

Kevin Harper

Chris Brown

Shajahan Shahib

Virudchalam Thangavel

Project Articles

IKEA Bahrain - BSBG begins work on construction

IKEA Bahrain officially opens today!

Festival Plaza opens to the public

Related Projects

The Dubai Mall Zabeel

The Beach

Dubai Festival City Retail