The 500,000-square-foot Desert Passage, the first shopping mall of its kind in Las Vegas, was unveiled last week to more than 8,000 invited attendees. Surrounding the Aladdin Resort & Casino, it offers what it calls the world's most exotic dance, music and artistry, with performers and artists from faraway places like Morocco and India.
Among the mall's many spectacles and features, an actual 155-foot ship is anchored in the “Merchants Harbor,” where simulated rain showers occur sporadically off the ship's bow. Henna body painters, Gnawa musicians and Moroccan dancers highlight the shopping experience. The mall also features 52 retailers and restaurants new to Las Vegas, including the Blue Note Jazz Club (New York), Sur La Table and Anasazi (Santa Fe).