Top 15 Biggest Shopping Malls in the World

Shopping Mall means different things to different people, for some it is just a store, for some, it is where shoppers get things like Clothes, International Branded Shoes, Fancy watches, etc., and for others, it is a place to hang out with friends to have dinner. Nowadays shopping mall is a lifestyle hub for people to shop and spend time with family and friends. It is a one-stop-shop for all

Few shopping malls in the world have taken this experience to a different level altogether by building gigantic structures. These malls which are spread across millions of square feet area have hundreds of shops including Cinemas, Fast Food restaurants, gaming centers, etc. In this article, we are sharing with you the biggest shopping malls in the world.

15 Biggest Shopping Malls in the World

Here is the list of the top 15 biggest shopping malls around the world.

1. Iran Mall – Tehran, Iran

The Iran Mall, located in the city of Tehran in Iran is the largest mall in the world with a gross leasable space of 21 million sq ft. Some part of this mall is still under construction as Phase 1 of the project opened recently in the year 2020. The Iran Mall has close to 700 shopping outlets, 200 restaurants spread across 3 food courts, many book stores, and a 2000 seater IMAX Cinema house.

There is huge space for outdoor and indoor sporting activities as well. There are three hotels in this mall with a capacity to accommodate 3000 guests in the conference hall and it also has 450 rooms. More than 25000 workers were involved in the construction of this mall. This mall is indeed a small city in itself.

2. The Dubai Mall – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

With a total floor area of about 12 million sq ft, The Dubai Mall which is next to iconic Burj Khalifa is the biggest shopping center in Dubai. There are more than 1200 stores in this mall which also has the largest indoor aquarium in the world. The aquarium has 300 different species of marine animals. A few years back it unveiled the world’s largest OLED screen. There is an amusement park for recreational activities in this mall.

3. New South China Mall – Dongguan, China

The New South China Mall in the city of Dongguan in China is one of the largest malls in the world with a gross leasable area of 6.4 million sq ft. The mall was inaugurated in the year 2005 but for almost team years until 2015, this was almost empty as many merchants did not sign up. The management of the mall decided to do extensive restructuring and renovating of the mall to attract tenants which yielded good results in few years and it is very livelier today. The mall is divided into seven different zones modeled based on the concept of international cities, Countries, and Region.

4. Golden Resources Shopping Mall – Beijing, China

With a total area of 6 million sq ft, Golden Resources Mall is one of the largest supermalls located in China. This mall is also commonly referred to as the ‘Great Mall of China’. During the initial years of the launch, the mall faced a few problems mainly because of its location which is in the outer suburbs of Beijing city, and also the steep prices of the products sold inside the mall. However, with the steep economic growth which China has witnessed in the last many years, the footfalls have increased exponentially. The access to the mall was improved after the opening up of the subway line for commuters.

5. Central World – Bangkok, Thailand

Central World mall, located in the city of Bangkok is a must-visit place for locals and tourists. The mall covers an area of approximately 4.62 million sq ft with more than 500 stores. This was originally called as World Trade Center. Unlike most high-end malls which target upper-class people, this mall is marketed as a middle-class shopping center. It has a deluge of entertainment options for adults as well as children. The mall was closed for a brief period in the year 2010 after a major fire broke out during political protest. Central world Mall also has a 57-story 5-star hotel facility for its guests.

6. Istanbul Cevahir – Istanbul, Turkey

Located in the Sisli district of Istanbul with a 4.5 million sq ft built-up area, this mall is also called “The Sisli Culture and Trade Centre”. In terms of the gross leasable area, this mall was the largest in the Europe region for 6 consecutive years from 2005 to 2011. The mall’s glass roof carries the second biggest clock in the world. There are multiple other entertainment facilities like 12 cinemas, a bowling hall apart from 343 shops in this mall.

7. SM Mall of Asia – Manila, Philippines

With a huge built area of 4.3 million sq ft, SM Mall of Asia is one of the biggest shopping centers in the Philippines. The SM Mall of Asia was opened in the year 2006 and it was the largest shopping mall in the Philippines at that time. It has a 2-story entertainment complex with 4D theatre and also the country’s first Olympic-sized ice-skating arena.

8. West Edmonton Mall – Alberta, Canada

The West Edmonton Mall is presently the largest mall in South America with a total built-up area of 3.77 million sq ft. The mall houses around 800 stores, and many cafes, restaurants in its food court. This is the second most visited mall in Canada with many attractions for both local citizens and tourists like the amusement park which is the largest indoor in the world, the largest indoor waterpark in the world, a miniature golf course, and Ice palace. Mall has a parking facility to accommodate 20000 vehicles.

9. Berjaya Times Square – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2003, Berjaya Times Square is a twin-tower complex spread across 7.5 million sq ft. There is a shopping mall inside this complex which comprises 1000 retail shops, 1200 luxury service suites, and 65 food outlets. Kuala Lumpur monorail is linked to this complex with the help of a footbridge. Berjaya Times Square Theme park which was earlier known as Cosmo’s World is Asia’s second-largest indoor theme park.

10. Siam Paragon – Bangkok, Thailand

Siam Paragon mall is one of the largest shopping malls in Thailand with a total area of 3.22 million sq ft. The mall is a classic example of modern architecture. Aside from its huge in-house shops and restaurants, the mall also has the Siam Ocean World aquarium, the Thai Art Gallery, and the Opera concert hall. It houses the world-famous wax museum Madame Tussauds and KidZania Bangkok.

11. Isfahan City Center – Isfahan, Iran.

Isfahan City Center, situated in the city of Isfahan with a gross leasable area of 3.01 million sq ft. It is the second-largest mall in Iran and also one of the world’s largest shopping malls which has a museum. The City Center mall which was opened in 2012 has 750+ stores. Not just this, the mall also boasts of many multi-cuisine restaurants, an entertainment center, and a hypermarket.

12. New Century Global Center – Chengdu, China

China’s New Century Global Center is the world’s biggest building in terms of total floor area. It is the combined size of 246 football fields or the size of three Pentagons. There is a huge water park inside this park with an artificial bench. There is a 1009-rooms InterContinental Hotel in this mall. It houses many offices, conference rooms, a university complex, a pirate ship, two commercial centers, and an Olympic-size skating rink.

13. 1 Utama – Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

1 Utama mall is located in Petaling Jaya city near Kuala Lumpur. It is not only the largest shopping mall in Malaysia but also the seventh-largest shopping mall in the world. There is a rooftop garden which is one of the largest in the Asian continent. It has a crossfire arcade center and a gigantic 36-lane bowling alley. The entire complex of 1 Utama was built in two phases which has a footfall of more than 60,000 people daily and around 120,000 people on weekends.

14. Persian Gulf Complex – Shiraz, Iran

The Persian Gulf Complex mall is one of the largest malls in Iran located in Shiraz city. There are more than 2500 stores in this mall. The complex has a 262-room hotel, a bowling alley, and two swimming pools.  There are four floors in this complex with a capacity of 5500 vehicles for parking. It also has one indoor and one outdoor amusement park facility with video games.

15. SM Seaside City Cebu – Cebu City, Philippines

SM Seaside City Cebu mall is the jewel in the crown of the big complex which also has residential buildings, office spaces, and a hotel. SM Seaside City Cebu is locally more popular as the SM Seaside or just Seaside. SM seaside is one of the largest shopping malls in the Philippines. The mall which was inaugurated in the year 2015 is located in the city of Cebu. The complex is spread over 30 hectares and there is a 150-meters tall tower in the middle of the mall which is popularly known as Seaside tower. One can get a complete panoramic view of the entire city from the top of this tower. Inside this complex is an amusement center with an 18-lane bowling alley.

Hope you enjoyed reading this article on World’s 15 biggest shopping malls. If you get an opportunity to visit any of these places, do pay a visit to the shopping mall there too!