If you lived in Dubai in the nineties or early 2000s, you probably spent a weekend or two at Lamcy Plaza. The Oud Metha mall opened in 1997 with five floors and more than 150 stores, and for years it was one of the city’s favourite family hangouts — long before Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates arrived on the scene. It has sat quiet since March 2017, when it closed for what was described as a temporary renovation. Nearly eight and a half years on, the site is finally coming back to life under a new name: The Plaza.
Why Lamcy Plaza Meant So Much to Dubai
In the late nineties, Dubai’s mall scene looked nothing like today’s. Lamcy Plaza was one of the few places where a family could shop, eat and spend a whole afternoon, and it built a fiercely loyal following in Oud Metha and beyond. For a generation of residents it was simply the mall — the default for school-holiday outings and weekend window shopping, back when the city’s shopping options could be counted on one hand.
Two memories come up in almost every conversation about the place. The first is the rope-climbing clown, a fixture that scaled a rope all the way to the fifth floor while crowds of children watched from below. The second is the cascading waterfalls that ran across several floors, giving the building a sound and atmosphere people still describe in detail. Whether either survives into The Plaza is unknown — nothing about the interiors has been confirmed.
The Closure That Was Never Supposed to Last
When Lamcy Plaza shut its doors in March 2017, the official line was reassuring: a temporary closure for renovation, with a grand reopening to follow. The reopening never came. Months turned into years, and the building stood silent while Dubai’s mall map kept expanding around it. Plenty from that era of the city is still worth seeing — our guide to the best places to visit in Dubai covers the landmarks that endured.
What We Actually Know About The Plaza
The clearest sign of movement came in September 2025, when the Lamcy Plaza site was sold for AED 188.7 million through Emirates Auction. Since then, exterior work has become visible at the Oud Metha property — the first real activity the building has seen in years. Reporting from Curly Tales and What’s On confirms the site is returning under a new name: The Plaza.
And that is genuinely where the confirmed facts run out. No opening date has been announced. No brand line-up, no word on cinemas, food outlets or entertainment attractions. Treat anything you hear about launch dates or tenants as speculation for now — we will update this story as real details are confirmed.
What Longtime Residents Hope Comes Back
Ask around Oud Metha and the wish list sounds the same everywhere: the clown, the waterfalls, and the easy community feel that set Lamcy Plaza apart from the mega-malls. Whether the developers lean into that nostalgia or build something entirely modern is still an open question. Either way, a revived Plaza would fill a genuine gap — Oud Metha remains one of the city’s most lived-in neighbourhoods, and its residents have waited long enough for their mall back. While the wait continues, there are plenty of free things to do in Dubai, and our Dubai food guide covers the neighbourhoods worth eating your way through.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Lamcy Plaza close?
Lamcy Plaza closed in March 2017. The shutdown was announced as a temporary renovation, but the mall never reopened — it has now been closed for nearly eight and a half years.
What is The Plaza in Oud Metha?
The Plaza is the new name for the redeveloped Lamcy Plaza site in Oud Metha, Dubai. The property is being revived following its sale in 2025, and exterior work is now visible.
When will The Plaza open?
No opening date has been announced. That remains the biggest unknown, and we will update this article as soon as a date is confirmed.
What shops and attractions will The Plaza have?
Nothing has been confirmed yet — no brands, cinemas, food outlets or entertainment attractions have been announced. Whether the famous rope-climbing clown or the waterfalls return is unknown.
How much did the Lamcy Plaza site sell for?
The site sold for AED 188.7 million through Emirates Auction in September 2025.
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