According to developers Aldar Properties, construction work on the much delayed Yas Mall project in Abu Dhabi is imminent.

The builder said that in its May progress update that it is set to award the construction contract in June.

The developer said that since January, construction contract bids have been received with a contract award scheduled for mid June 2011. But the size of Abu Dhabi's new shopping mall has been further reduced.

The gross leasable retail space in Yas Mall is given as 230,000 square meter in the May Progress Update posted on the website of the Abu Dhabi builder. The original plan for the shopping centre included retail space of 300,000 square meters. That was cut to 250,000 square meters last year and then in March it was reduced again to 235,000 square meters.

The report said that the mall would house over 400 stores including hypermarket, restaurants, food court, multiplex cinema and family entertainment center. The shopping mall project, which was launched in late 2008, originally was slated for completion this year but the impact of the global slowdown has resulted in a number of delays.

(Sourced from www.constructionweekonline.com)