Dubai’s major City of Arabia project is on track, with the economic downturn being more of a help than a hindrance by bringing down construction costs, its developer says.

The US$5 billion (Dh18bn) development – including the Mall of Arabia, which will be the world’s largest shopping centre, and a theme park called Restless Planet featuring full-scale robotic dinosaurs – is still due to open on time, said Syed Khalil, the group executive director for City of Arabia, which is being developed by Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group.

The National