Marina Mall is the one Abu Dhabi mall you visit as much for the setting as the shopping. It sits out on the Corniche breakwater, which means floor-to-ceiling water views and the Emirates Palace and Etihad Towers skyline sitting right across the marina. It is smaller and calmer than Yas Mall or The Galleria, and that is rather the point.
Here is what is actually worth your time, from the anchor stores to the new Cinemacity Starlight cinema and the 1927 members’ house hidden inside it.
Getting There and the Practical Basics
The mall sits on Al Marina Island on the Corniche breakwater, a short hop from the city centre and walkable to the Emirates Palace area. Taxis use the North Entrance for drop-off and pick-up, and there is a Big Bus tour stop at the main entrance.
Location: Marina Mall 18 Street, Al Marina Island, Corniche Breakwater, Abu Dhabi
Contact: marinamall.ae; switchboard listed as +971 2 444 2938
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00am to 10:00pm, Friday and Saturday 10:00am to midnight
Parking: Around 4,000 spaces with EV charging in the Carrefour and lower basement levels, plus an on-site car wash
The Shopping
The anchor is a large Carrefour hypermarket in the basement, which is genuinely one of the better-stocked in the city for ready-to-eat food, dates, spices and last-minute everything. Above it, the mall mixes luxury houses with high-street staples and a growing home and lifestyle offer, with names like Crate & Barrel and CB2 joining the line-up recently. Tenant rosters do rotate, so check the live directory on marinamall.ae before you make a special trip for one brand.
Eating at Marina Mall
The headline arrival is Dave’s Hot Chicken, the cult Nashville-style chain’s first Abu Dhabi branch, which landed here in late 2025 with seven heat levels and indoor and outdoor seating. Beyond that there is the usual reliable cafe and casual line-up, Starbucks included, plus the restaurant and pizzeria menus inside Cinemacity Starlight. The full current dining list lives on the mall’s own Dine page.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, location: Marina Mall, Al Marina Island, Abu Dhabi
Contact: Order in person or via Deliveroo (listed as Dave’s Hot Chicken – Marina Mall AD); details on the official Dave’s Hot Chicken UAE site
The Cinema and the 1927 Members’ House
Marina Mall’s biggest recent draw is Cinemacity Starlight, a six-screen cinema with the flagship Starlight Theatre, recliner-grade VIP, Club and Deluxe seating and in-seat food ordering. It is a proper night out rather than a quick screening.
Tucked inside the same wing is 1927, the capital’s new private members’ house, a 1920s-inspired space of dining, lounge and cabaret rooms operated by Cinemacity. After its public preview it reverts to members only, so most visitors will admire it from the cinema side rather than the inside.
Cinemacity Starlight, location: Marina Mall, Al Marina Island, Abu Dhabi
Contact: +971 56 922 8900; cinemacity.ae
1927: Inside Cinemacity Starlight; membership applications at 1927.ae
WOW Expert Tip: Marina Mall has multiple entrances and the closest one to Cinemacity Starlight sits on the eastern side. If you are driving, head to the basement parking near that entrance, it saves a five-minute walk through the entire mall after dinner.
WOW Expert Tip: Time your visit for late afternoon. The breakwater setting puts the Emirates Palace and Etihad Towers skyline right across the water, and the views are at their best as the sun drops and the towers light up.
Is Marina Mall Worth Visiting?
If you are after the biggest selection of shops in the city, Yas Mall and The Galleria win on scale. But Marina Mall trades size for setting. Come for the Carrefour run, a film at Cinemacity Starlight and that breakwater skyline, and it more than earns the trip. Just know that very little here is bargain-priced, the location is the luxury.
Marina Mall is on Al Marina Island, on the Corniche breakwater in Abu Dhabi, a short distance from the city centre and close to the Emirates Palace and Etihad Towers area. The address is Marina Mall 18 Street, Al Marina Island.
Marina Mall is open Sunday to Thursday from 10:00am to 10:00pm, and Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to midnight. Individual store and restaurant hours can vary.
Yes. Cinemacity Starlight is a six-screen cinema at Marina Mall with the flagship Starlight Theatre, VIP, Club and Deluxe recliner seating and in-seat food ordering. It also houses the 1927 private members’ house.
Beyond shopping you can catch a film at Cinemacity Starlight, eat at spots like Dave’s Hot Chicken, and take in the Emirates Palace and Etihad Towers skyline views across the marina. The 1927 members’ house sits inside the cinema wing.
1927 is Abu Dhabi’s new private members’ house, a 1920s-inspired space of dining, lounge and cabaret rooms inside Cinemacity Starlight at Marina Mall. It is operated by Cinemacity and is members-only after its public preview, with applications at 1927.ae.
Final Thought
Marina Mall is not trying to be the biggest mall in Abu Dhabi. It is the one with the best address. Go for the cinema, the Carrefour haul and the view, and let the bigger malls handle the marathon shopping days.
