A familiar fixture on Sharjah’s retail map is closing its doors, with Ansar Mall on Ittihad Road set to shut down after 23 years of operation, alongside its two Ansar Gallery branches in Dubai’s Karama and Deira districts.
Hassan Sha, the marketing manager for the company, told Khaleej Times that the stores are closing. Hassan Sha said this move is part of a plan to change how the company works, not a way to quit.
“We are strategically relocating our operations to prime and high-potential locations across the UAE ” Hassan Sha said. He also mentioned that new stores are being planned for Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Barsha, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Nobody knows the dates for the store closures or the store reopenings yet. However I noticed that notice boards are already up in the stores to tell shoppers about the store shutdowns.
The Sharjah outlet, spanning roughly 320,000 square feet, holds particular significance as the Ansar Group’s founding UAE property, opened in 2003 after the company’s initial launch in Qatar.
Its success paved the way for the Deira branch in 2012 and the Karama outlet a year later, both known for budget-friendly groceries, pharmacy items, electronics and household goods.
News of the shutdown has stirred an emotional response among long-time residents, particularly those who grew up in Sharjah in the 1990s and 2000s and associate the mall’s food court and children’s play area with formative memories.
Social media footage in recent days has captured packed clearance sales at all three branches, with shoppers reporting empty trolleys and long queues as bargain-hunters rushed in before closing.
Beyond the retail closures, Ansar Group also operates A&H Home, a furniture outlet at Sharjah’s City Centre Al Zahia, which is likewise being relocated to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Separately, the group confirmed plans to open its first carpet showroom, Ansar Gallery Carpet, in Abu Dhabi’s Al Shamkha area, featuring both ready-made and custom rugs sourced from Turkey, Italy, Belgium, China, India and Pakistan.
Founded in 1987, Ansar Group runs retail and real estate operations across Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.
