Abu-Dhabi: Two souqs and the space in between

Abstract

The young city of Abu Dhabi has witnessed major transformations over the last few decades; it developed from a simple village to a vibrant cosmopolitan city rather rapidly. With such rapid development, many features of the city came and went despite the emotional and heritage value to the city’s residents. To match the new image of the city, the old Central Market, Souq, in downtown Abu Dhabi was replaced by a giant modern shopping mall. The traditional merchants and marketgoers found another venue to replace the lost experience. The streets between the old souq and another adjacent mall, Madinat Zayed Mall, transformed into a replacement for the lost experience of the old. It fulfilled the needs of the blue collars and the middle-class shoppers. For two decades, the two souqs, the Central Market and the Madinat Zayed Mall stood less than one kilometre apart, separated by the two shopping streets of Hamdan and Electra running at right angles to the axis joining them. The streets connecting the two souqs created a natural path for commercial development. Walking these streets, especially during pleasant wintertime, is a unique experience to document. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Neveen Hamza; individual chapters, the contributors.

Keywords The Central Market , Madinat Zayed Mall, Vibrant cosmopolitan city, Replaced, Modern shopping mall