Shops at former Safeer Mall win case but struggle amid renovations

Two months after Sharjah’s once-bustling Safeer Mall announced its closure and takeover by a new management, renovation works are in full swing.

- Laraib Anwer

However, owners of the nine shops that originally elected not to relocate say they are struggling to stay afloat amid the ongoing refurbishment project.

This comes nearly a month after the tenants won a civil case filed against them by the new management — Western International Group — to vacate the property. On May 1, a court order declared the business owners could continue operating from the building under contracts signed directly with the municipality for the next five years.

It further stated they could not be evicted from the premises or have their rents hiked. But that victory seems to now have given way to a new battle.

When Khaleej Times visited the mall that once served as a landmark for commuters plying the Dubai-Sharjah route along Al Ittihad Road, it wore a deserted look with its lights switched off, closed basement parking and no customers to be seen around. Interior work was ongoing, with parts of the ceiling and tiles being replaced, as shattered glass and metal shutters lay near some closed shops. Ladders were placed across parts of the mall as construction workers went about their business, with standing fans placed nearby. The heat inside the mall was almost as sweltering as it was outside, and the lack of ventilation was quickly apparent. This reporter too was drenched in sweat in a matter of minutes.