al-Bira - البيرة: The new Plaza shopping center/American Style

Al-Bireh is the first Palestinian city to have a covered, proper shopping centre ? or mall in American parlance ? to boast of. The PLAZA Shopping Centre, situated in the northern part of the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, was officially opened on July 1st, 2003. The Centre occupies an area of seven and a half dunums (approx. 2 acres) of land and has nearly 10,000m² of commercial space. Spread out on two commercial floors, the businesses range from clothing stores of all types, including a franchise of the famous Benetton stores, to candy and gift shops, bookshop and stationary stores, computers, and other services such as dry cleaning, an optometrist, and a pharmacy. The centre also boasts several food outlets such as an U.S. franchise Italian restaurant, a café, oriental sweets, fast-food eateries and the first Palestinian franchise hamburger shop. The anchor store comprises a huge supermarket on the ground level, accurately named BRAVO Supermarket, which makes shopping for food a pleasant experience and offers easy access to the parking lot. The second anchor is a large indoor children's playground full of mechanical and video games, with the major attraction being a Formula 1 race track for kids, along with a birthday party area. The whole centre is air conditioned and centrally heated, making it an ideal place for winter shopping or for escaping the stifling summer heat. The centre offers full handicap access to all the stores.