Shopping malls in Dubai must upgrade their security to match the growing "sophistication" of criminals, a top industry representative said.

"Gone are the days when shopping malls could have a relaxed attitude. Criminals are becoming more sophisticated and we need to be better prepared now," said Eisa Adam Ebrahim, head of Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) and general manager of Bur Juman shopping centre.

He urged shopping malls to hire professional security agencies. The shopping mall group has 35 members. "There is a need to develop a comprehensive security plan in cooperation with Dubai's security agencies," Ebrahim said.

However, the DSMG chief does not favour the idea of armed guards at shopping malls. "We do not want to chase and arrest criminals in the malls. Our priority is to prevent incidents from happening and for this we need to work more closely with police," he told Gulf News.

Some shopping mall managers refused to talk about the issue of security on their premises. Officials at Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta Mall declined to speak to the media. Dubai Festival City, another popular shopping venue that has a huge retail section, said it could not discuss any specific security measures.

"We have extensive safety and security measures in place to provide maximum comfort and safety for our customers. It is our policy not to comment on specific measures," said Tom Miles, senior general manager of retail at Festival City.