Design International is to develop a destination mall as part of a project which aims to boost Morocco’s standing as a tourism and cultural centre.

The Mall of Rabat will be one element of the mixed-use Wessal Bouregreg project, which also features a Zaha Hadid-designed theatre, a national library, an archaeology and earth sciences museum, a hotel, a marina, and a residential area.

Wessal Bouregreg will cover an area of 110,000sq m (1,184,000sq ft) and has been launched under the leadership of King Mohammed VI as a major strand of the ‘Royal Vision’ strategy which seeks to make Morocco an international destination.

Investment fund Wessal Capital signed an agreement with Aksal Group to develop the shopping mall, in which the capital will be held jointly by the two organisations. Design International CEO Davide Padoa has been brought on board by Aksal Group to design the retail element of the project.

Padoa said his design would “reflect the richness of the historical architectural heritage of the city of Rabat”. Featuring both indoor and outdoor elements, Padoa said the mall would be full of greenery and would also be “highly sustainable”.

It will be built on a total area of approximately 60,000sq m (645,835sq ft) and will feature more than two hundred retail and leisure brands, as well as a cinema complex. The so-called "signature” hotel being built as part of the Wessal Bouregreg project will be directly linked to the mall.

Design International and Aksal Group previously worked on the Morocco Mall in Casablanca, which opened in 2011.