Opened in 1981 in Deira, making it the oldest enclosed shopping mall in Dubai by a full decade — predating BurJuman by ten years and Dubai Mall by nearly three decades. Built by the Al Ghurair family, one of Dubai's oldest merchant dynasties.

Has been extended and refurbished multiple times and remains a functioning, busy mall serving the Deira community. The crowd is local, the rents are accessible, and the tenant mix reflects a Deira that predates the Marina and Downtown entirely.

Most lists of Dubai malls start with Dubai Mall. The correct answer to 'which came first' is here, in Deira, and it has been open continuously since Ronald Reagan's first year in office.