Ayalon Mall – The First Mall in Israel

The 1980’s saw an unparalleled period of growth in the shopping center industry in the world. Although large, free-standing retailer stores existed before, the ’80s were truly the “shopping mall” era. And the growth of these shopping malls has never stopped ever since.

Wherever you are in the world, there’s at least one or a couple of shopping malls. Israel is no exception.

Israel jumped on the shopping malls bandwagon during the 1980s by opening Ayalon Mall in 1985. It is located in Ramat Gan, a city in the Tel Aviv District, the smallest and the most populous of the six administrative districts in Israel. The district’s capital is Tel Aviv.

Ayalon Mall is the first mall in Israel to have a shopping complex situated outside the city center with a parking lot that surrounds it. The late Jewish-Canadian real estate tycoon, David Azrieli, was credited for inventing the world “mall” in Hebrew for Ayalon Mall, kanyon. Azrieli also built the eponymous Azrieli Center, a business complex that also has its own mall, the Azrieli Center Mall, which is currently the biggest mall in Israel.

Being the first mall in the country, it’s not a surprise that Ayalon Mall holds several “firsts”, including the first-ever McDonald’s branch in Israel, which opened in 1993.

Ayalon Mall was originally a one-story-tall shopping center. But a major extension work occurred in 2006 where the mall added a second floor with a 15-screen cinema and some fast food restaurants. The new movie theater, named “yes Planet” (sponsored by the Israeli satellite television company yes –  yes, it’s spelled that way), replaced the old 10-year-old one that had only four screens. The old cinema was replaced with around ten new stores.

Another extension work in 2015 added more shops and restaurants.

Ayalon Mall is located close to Ramat Gan Stadium and Bnei Brak Railway Station. Since the mall is not too far away from the heart of Tel Aviv and is also close to Bnei Brak, most of the mall’s patrons shop and dine there.

Now three stories tall, Ayalon Mall is a big mall by Israeli standards. It is highly ranked and has garnered mostly positive reviews on TripAdvisor.

It has several shops, both global and Israeli, several restaurants, cafes and places for entertainment.

Partial list of stores in Ayalon Mall:

  • Adidas
  • ALDO
  • American Eagle
  • Avnet
  • Babylon
  • Bags Center
  • Biga
  • Bilabong
  • Bonita de Mas
  • Castro
  • Change
  • Crazy Line
  • Crocs
  • Dorin Frankfurt
  • FOX and FOX Home
  • GENTLEMAN
  • HONiGMAN
  • IL Makiage
  • Intima
  • Keds Kids
  • Lafayet
  • Lagaat Baosher
  • Lee Cooper
  • Mango
  • Marco Shoes
  • Mia Inspiration
  • Nefartiti
  • Nike
  • Nine West
  • ONOT
  • PANDORA
  • PROFIL
  • Pull&Bear
  • Rikushet
  • ROLADIN
  • Sketchers
  • STEVE MADEN
  • Swatch
  • THE CHILDREN’S PLACE
  • Timberland
  • Tzofet Sfarim
  • Vardinon
  • VEAHAVTA
  • YANGA
  • Zara

Ayalon Mall

301 Derech Aba Hillel Silver
Ramat Gan 5259408

Contact details and store hours

Phone: 03-5703105

Sunday to Thursday – 09:30 to 22:00
Friday – 09:30 to 14:45
Saturday – After end of Shabbat to 23:00

Check out the list of shopping malls in and near Tel Aviv