Mirdif

—— United Arab Emirates community ——
Mirdif مردف
Uptown Mirdif
Country	United Arab Emirates
Emirate	Dubai
City	Dubai
Community number	251
Community statistics
Area	9.2 km²
Population	8,115 [1] (2000)
Population density	882/km²
Neighbouring communities	Al Rashidiya, Al Warqaa, Muhaisnah, Al Mizhar
Coordinates	25°13′27″N 55°25′22″E / 25.22404°N 55.42276°E / 25.22404; 55.42276Coordinates: 25°13′27″N 55°25′22″E / 25.22404°N 55.42276°E / 25.22404; 55.42276

Mirdif (Arabic: مردف‎) (sometimes referred to as Mirdiff, or Murdef due to differences in transliteration) is a residential area located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Mirdif consists mainly of villa developments, or single privately held villas. It has become popular with expatriates since the 1990s. As Dubai has grown, the area has become more popular with more land being sold to large real-estate developers such as Dubai Properties, who are responsible for the most recent addition to Mirdif, a gated community called Shorooq Community. A project named Uptown Mirdif, developed by Union Properties, encompasses the east of Mirdif.

The population of the general Mirdif area is a complete mixture of all nationalities, UAE nationals, middle-eastern expatriates, along with Asian and European expatriates.

Geography

Mirdif is located approximately 10 km away from Deira City Centre to the south east. It borders the districts Muhaisnah and Al Mizhar from the north, Al Warqaa from the south, and Al Rashidiya from the east. The eastern part of Mirdif is the public Al Mushrif park. Located adjacent to the Rashidiya Metro station and the Dubai International Airport, Mirdif is easily accessible from frequented arterial highways including Emirates Road and Al Awir Road.

Culture

Schools

Mirdif has several nurseries and schools, with GCE, GCSE, IB and A level curriculum's:

Nurseries and primary schools

• Emirates British Nursery
• Small Steps Nursery
• Super Kids Nursery

Secondary schools

International Baccalaureate

• Mirdiff Private School
• Uptown School
• Dar Al Marefa

GCE/GCSE

• Star International School

Sports and Recreation

• The town enjoys a public park at 26b street with basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, as well as a 300 metre walking track, training equipment and extensive play equipment for children. It is open every day from 8:00 to 23:00; Fridays, Saturdays and bank holidays longer. Men are allowed only at the weekends.
• The public Al Mushrif park with a size of more than 15 hectars and trees up to 50 years of age offers outdoor recreation.

Shopping

Mirdif houses various 'collections' of small corner shops and supermarkets, usually centred around a mosque. This results in them commonly being referred to as 'mosque shops'. Well known examples of these 'collections' are:

• Mirdif Golden Gate
• Pink Mall
• Lifco
• West Zone

Shopping Malls

Mirdif City Centre

Main article: Mirdif City Centre

Mirdif City Centre is a large shopping mall opened on 16 March 2010.^[2] The Mirdif City Centre project was first announced in April 2007 with construction beginning in August 2007. It comprises 3,116,451 sq ft (289,527.8 m²) of gross floor area spread over a service basement level and 1st floor, and 180,000 m² (1,900,000 sq ft) square metres of shopping space.

The mall contains about 430 shops with adjacent 3 level parking for over 7000 cars, a Magic Planet Entertainment zone with an "iFly" indoor skydiving center. In addition the mall contains 8 standard and 2 'gold-class' cinemas, as well as a Fitness First gym, and two food courts with approximately 60 different eating outlets.

Some leading retailers in Mirdif City Centre include Debenhams, Zara, Virgin Megastore, and Carrefour.

Uptown Mirdif

Uptown Mirdif is an open-air shopping centre which includes 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m²) of net lettable space. It was the first large shopping complex in Mirdif. It is directly connected to the property development of the same name, and follows the same aesthetic design.

There is underground parking connected to Uptown Mirdif, which is divided between tenants and visitors. The centre also has a Fitness First gym, and a food court.

Some leading retailers in Uptown Mirdif include Adidas, Aldo, and Spinneys.

Property developments

Uptown Mirdif

Uptown Mirdif is a property project developed by Union Properties. The project's design is inspired by an ancient spa town. The project features over 2000 villas and flats, play areas and recreation facilities, a health care center and a primary school. The entire community is gated, and hence cut off from the rest of Mirdif.

Shorooq Community

Shorooq Community, situated along Algeria street, is a housing development that consists primarily of 3-4 bedroom villas. The property includes a community club house and is located adjacent to Mushrif Park. Shorooq covers an area of 8,000,000 square feet (740,000 m²). The community features 668 villas, including 236 two-bedroom villas up to 1,961 sq ft., 252 three-bedroom villas up to 3,561 sq ft (330.8 m²) and 180 four-bedroom villas as large as 4,098 sq ft (380.7 m²).

Religious sites

There are 4 mosques in Mirdif spread over the area.

• 83rd street next to West Zone supermarket
• 37th street next to Lifco supermarket
• 15th street next to Pink Mall
• 71st street next to Mirdif Shopping Centre

References

1. ^ Existing Population and Future Holding Capacities in Dubai Urban Area. Dubai Healthcare City. 2000
2. ^ The National: Mirdif City Centre in Dubai opens, Retrieved September 21 2010.