Ali Mall


Ali Mall is the first major shopping mall in the Philippines. It is located at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City beside SM Cubao, and owned by The Araneta City Inc., a subsidiary of the Araneta Group. The mall was named in honor of boxer Muhammad Ali, and was built in 1976, making it one of the oldest malls in the country.

History

Construction on the mall began in 1975 after Muhammad Ali's boxing victory against Joe Frazier in Araneta Coliseum, dubbed "Thrilla in Manila". At the time there were no malls in the entire country, so Ali addressed a speech to the Philippines to build a shopping mall near the Araneta Center in honor of his victory, a shopping mall with a floor area of. The shopping mall was completed within the year and was inaugurated on June 30, 1976. Ali himself attended the ceremony.
The mall had many firsts in the country, such as the first enclosed and fully air-conditioned mall; the Alimall Cineplex 4, first cineplex with 2 cinemas ; the largest indoor skating rink ; and the first food Court, with its first tenants are Papemelroti, Blue Magic, and Rusty Lopez. Among its tenants include Automatic Centre, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Philippine Airlines, Penshoppe, National Book Store, Adidas, and Vans and more than 100 other shops, including food, retail, tech services, and government services, including the Department of Foreign Affairs' DFA CO NCR-Northeast, a passport office located on the second level which was opened in February 2014.
In the 1980s, the mall has been undergoing expansions and renovations since its construction. In 2009, a new expansion to Ali Mall was opened, costing ₱200 million, consisting of a fully enclosed footbridge that connects Ali Mall to nearby SM Cubao was opened in 2010 to commemorate the friendship between the two malls and new interiors and a modernisation of the Ali Mall Cineplex 4.
In 2016, the mall paid tribute to Ali's legacy shortly after the boxer's death.
In March 2019, a section of the mall at the upper ground floor was remodeled to cater novelty items, antiques, art, music, and memorabilia. This was inaugurated as ALI X, said to be inspired by the grand bazaars of Europe and aims to be a haven for casual goers and hobbyists alike. Inaugural tenants include Happy Music, Remnant's Thrift Shop, and Erin's Artist's Lounge and Cafe, among others.