Emaar Retail partners with HSBC for KidZania® to inculcate saving habits in children

1. Partnership to teach children the value of money and how a real bank functions
2. HSBC bank and ATM machines will distribute KidZos, the official currency of KidZania®
3. Children can conduct banking with HSBC branded currency, ATM card, cheque and bank deposit slip

Emaar Retail has partnered with HSBC as the exclusive financial institution operating in KidZania®, the children’s edutainment centre, soon to open at The Dubai Mall. A unique concept, where a city has been scaled down to size for children featuring real-life business establishments, functions and even its own currency, KidZania’s® ‘banking’ edutainment will be provided through HSBC.

Upon entering the city of KidZania® through the airport-style check-in desks and X-Ray machines – simulating the real-life environment of Emirates airline – a child’s first activity will be to acquire cash, which will allow them to participate in the various attractions within the mini-city. Provided with a 50 KidZos cheque upon check-in, children will have to head straight for the HSBC bank establishment inside KidZania®, and cash it in for the official currency, KidZos, or they can even opt for an ATM card. KidZos can then be spent on buying products and services available throughout the 80,000 square foot mini city.

Once a child runs out of KidZos by participating in various activities, they will have to choose from over 70 professions and “work” in these establishments to earn more KidZos. At the end of their visit, any KidZos left over can be saved in the child’s account until their next visit. The banking experience is so authentic that children can actually earn interest on their KidZos deposited into the account.

Mr Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail, said: “Today, more than ever before, it is extremely important to inculcate in children the importance of managing money. KidZania® is the first of its kind edutainment destination that offers young ones the opportunity to understand the various aspects of different professions and the role of money in everyday life. Through the partnership with HSBC, one of the leaders in the financial sector, KidZania® aims to instil in our young patrons a sense of fiscal responsibility and discipline, which we expect will extend further to their day-to-day lives.”

Mr Abdulfattah Sharaf, Chief Executive Officer, Personal Financial Services, MENA, HSBC said: “HSBC is committed to improving financial literacy in the countries in which we operate for the benefit of the younger generation. As the world faces economic uncertainty, it is now more important that we encourage money-management skills amongst youngsters, enabling them to make responsible decisions later in life on how they spend and save their money. KidZania® offers a fantastic opportunity for children to learn these skills in a safe and fun environment.”

KidZania® will also feature an airport, offices, university, a fire station, race track, radio station, pizzeria, hospitals, theatre and fashion ramps amongst others, all scaled down to a smaller, child-friendly size.

KidZania® is one of the three new leisure attractions at The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination. SEGA Republic, the 76,000 sq ft indoor theme park; and the 22-screen Reel Cinemas with a seating capacity of up to 2,800 seats, are already open.

About Emaar Retail:
Emaar Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emaar Malls Group LLC and is the vehicle for all retail operations. Emaar Retail is developing a portfolio of brands in key growth markets and is strategically building new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licenses for all mall developments under the Emaar Malls Group umbrella. Emaar Retail also manages the business operations for The Dubai Mall’s leisure and entertainment brands including KidZania®, SEGA Republic, the Olympic-sized ‘Dubai Ice Rink’ and Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. Emaar Retail has also entered into a joint-venture with Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd in Singapore, to form Reel Entertainment to develop cinemas across the region including the flagship 22-screen cineplex at The Dubai Mall. Emaar Retail was established to drive Emaar Malls Group’s developments in key emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent through creating the right retail mix for the various markets.

About The Dubai Mall:
The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination spread over a total area of 12 million sq ft. With a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft, the mall has 3.77 million sq ft of gross leasable space which hosts 1,200 retail stores including over 160 food and beverage outlets in food courts that have a capacity to seat 3,000. The Dubai Mall offers an unparalleled retail mix combined with world-class dining, entertainment and leisure attractions. The leisure attractions include The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, which features the largest acrylic viewing panel in the world and a walk-through tunnel. The Olympic-sized Dubai Ice-Rink is another key leisure attraction and a destination for skating enthusiasts.

Fashion Avenue, a 440,000 sq ft fashion precinct dedicated to haute couture, positions the mall as the fashion capital of the region; while the Gold Souk is a sprawling gold and jewellery retail showcase with over 200 stores. The strong family entertainment theme includes KidZania®, an innovative children’s ‘edu-tainment’ concept that is being introduced to the region for the first time; SEGA Republic, a 76,000 sq ft high adrenaline indoor theme park; The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof, and the 22-screen Reel Cinemas with a total capacity of up to 2,800 seats. For the convenience of visitors, the mall offers over 14,000 car parking spaces.

About Emaar Malls Group LLC:
Emaar Malls Group LLC, is the retail and shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC. Emaar has announced investments in shopping malls of over US$4 billion (AED 15 billion) with 10 million sq ft of retail property in operation or under development in the emerging markets of the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia and is on target to become one of the largest developers of shopping malls in the world. At the forefront of these developments is the flagship The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest mall, in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai. Emaar Malls Group also operates two other malls in Dubai; Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque shopping and entertainment development on The Old Town Island, and Dubai Marina Mall, a lifestyle shopping mall for residents of the Dubai Marina community. Internationally, Emaar Malls Group is actively planning or developing shopping centres in Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and continues to drive the company’s expansion strategy on a global scale.

About Emaar Properties PJSC:
Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer with a significant presence in 36 markets world-wide. Besides building residential and commercial properties, the company also has proven competencies in shopping malls & retail, hospitality & leisure, education and healthcare. For more information, visit www.emaar.com.