‘Gibran Mall’, a new shopping center located on the old airport boulevard, will open its doors by the end of 2013. Investments in the project reached $30 million, said Aziza Sbeity, Marketing Manager at Gibran Mall.

The mall is owned by Abraj Beirut, a real estate firm whose major shareholder is Azzam Sbeity, a Lebanese investor with businesses in Africa. Dergham & Hamdar Associates are the contractors of the project. The mall’s name is a tribute to the world-renowned writer Gibran Khalil Gibran, Sbeity said.

The development will have a total space of 18,000 square meters parted into seven floors, including five underground ones. Two floors will be dedicated to parking lots, and three for retail and entertainment outlets. The two above-ground levels will include rooftop restaurants, retail spaces, and offices. Overall the mall will have 50 retail shops, Sbeity said: “We are currently communicating and negotiating with major retail groups as potential tenants.” The mall's rooftop has an outdoor space of 1,000 sqms and will host five different restaurants.

The mall is one of other similar concepts in the southwestern suburbs of Beirut. “The area lacks similar concepts which made it a main attraction for mall developers,” said Sbeity.