Dubai might be calling to you for its year-round sunshine, beautiful golden beaches and fabulous desert safaris, but one reason why many people flock to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) city is to hit the shops.
Home to some of the biggest malls in the world, you won’t be short of places to spend your cash – just make sure you have a big enough baggage allowance to take all your purchases home with you!
Dubai Mall
There is a huge variety of shops you can visit in the Middle Eastern city, but if you’ve got a penchant for huge, air-conditioned shopping centres with floors upon floors of designer stores, you need to head immediately to Dubai Mall.
When you first walk in – aside from feeling relief at being able to escape the intense heat – you will be blown away by the size and grandeur of the precinct. As the world’s largest shopping, leisure and entertainment destination, it is home to more than 1,000 stores, so you’ll definitely find everything you need here.
In addition to this, Dubai Mall – part of the $20 billion (£13.24 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai development – also has several leisure and entertainment facilities, including Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, Sega Republic and Dubai Fountain.
Traditional souks
In vast contrast to its luxurious modern malls, Dubai is still home to traditional Middle Eastern souks. If you’ve never seen one of these, they’re definitely worth a visit, as they offer a shopping experience completely different to any you’ll be used to.
These marketplaces sell traditional UAE products, including spice, fabric and gold. These centuries-old souks, which are situated throughout the city, have remained unchanged over the years; and, as you walk through the thoroughfares, you’ll take in the strong scents of perfumes and soak up the vibrant sights of colourful silk fabrics folded on top of each other.
The best place to find souks is on the Deira side of the creek and you can normally shop at these between 07:000 and 12:00 or between 17:00 and 19:00 e every day except Friday when they are closed in the morning.
You could come home with plenty of items, from diamonds and rubies to beautiful woven textiles, including rugs and throws. It is worth heading to the spice souk to see the huge piles of brightly-coloured spices on stalls, and you might wish to take some home to add a kick to dishes.
Whether you buy a lot at the souks or not, it is their atmosphere that makes these marketplaces really worth visiting. As you walk through the myriad of stalls and soak up the loud and bustling ambience, you’ll get to see a completely different side of Dubai.
Al Satwa
You might be looking for something in between Dubai Mall and traditional souks, in which case you could be interested in heading to Al Satwa. This area has plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants, especially on Al Diyfah - its main high street.
If you’re visiting or live in a property in Dubai, you could be interested in heading to one of the several tailoring shops in Al Satwa. Here, you can get entire suits and bespoke dresses made to measure in a couple of days!
Dubai Shopping Festival
True shopaholics visiting the UAE city will know all about the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), which is held for a month every year. During this period, you can expect to get good discounts on expensive items, including cars, jewellery, computers, electronics and perfumes.
DSF is traditionally held from mid-January to mid-February and there is a huge variety of entertainment throughout the period, from fashion shows to street performances. It is certainly worth experiencing the DSF whether you plan to spend all your cash or not.
Please Share The Article With Everyone Thanks:
Natasha
Home to some of the biggest malls in the world, you won’t be short of places to spend your cash – just make sure you have a big enough baggage allowance to take all your purchases home with you!
 |
| Image is licensed under CC Attribution |
Dubai Mall
There is a huge variety of shops you can visit in the Middle Eastern city, but if you’ve got a penchant for huge, air-conditioned shopping centres with floors upon floors of designer stores, you need to head immediately to Dubai Mall.
When you first walk in – aside from feeling relief at being able to escape the intense heat – you will be blown away by the size and grandeur of the precinct. As the world’s largest shopping, leisure and entertainment destination, it is home to more than 1,000 stores, so you’ll definitely find everything you need here.
In addition to this, Dubai Mall – part of the $20 billion (£13.24 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai development – also has several leisure and entertainment facilities, including Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, Sega Republic and Dubai Fountain.
 |
| Image is licensed under CC Attribution |
Traditional souks
In vast contrast to its luxurious modern malls, Dubai is still home to traditional Middle Eastern souks. If you’ve never seen one of these, they’re definitely worth a visit, as they offer a shopping experience completely different to any you’ll be used to.
These marketplaces sell traditional UAE products, including spice, fabric and gold. These centuries-old souks, which are situated throughout the city, have remained unchanged over the years; and, as you walk through the thoroughfares, you’ll take in the strong scents of perfumes and soak up the vibrant sights of colourful silk fabrics folded on top of each other.
The best place to find souks is on the Deira side of the creek and you can normally shop at these between 07:000 and 12:00 or between 17:00 and 19:00 e every day except Friday when they are closed in the morning.
 |
| Image is licensed under CC Attribution |
You could come home with plenty of items, from diamonds and rubies to beautiful woven textiles, including rugs and throws. It is worth heading to the spice souk to see the huge piles of brightly-coloured spices on stalls, and you might wish to take some home to add a kick to dishes.
Whether you buy a lot at the souks or not, it is their atmosphere that makes these marketplaces really worth visiting. As you walk through the myriad of stalls and soak up the loud and bustling ambience, you’ll get to see a completely different side of Dubai.
Al Satwa
You might be looking for something in between Dubai Mall and traditional souks, in which case you could be interested in heading to Al Satwa. This area has plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants, especially on Al Diyfah - its main high street.
If you’re visiting or live in a property in Dubai, you could be interested in heading to one of the several tailoring shops in Al Satwa. Here, you can get entire suits and bespoke dresses made to measure in a couple of days!
Dubai Shopping Festival
True shopaholics visiting the UAE city will know all about the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), which is held for a month every year. During this period, you can expect to get good discounts on expensive items, including cars, jewellery, computers, electronics and perfumes.
DSF is traditionally held from mid-January to mid-February and there is a huge variety of entertainment throughout the period, from fashion shows to street performances. It is certainly worth experiencing the DSF whether you plan to spend all your cash or not.
Please Share The Article With Everyone Thanks:
Natasha
About the Author:
Natasha Al-Atassi is a property investment and travel writer for Select Property, collating the latest news about property investments, tourism and travel opportunities in Dubai, as well as updates on the Select Property brand and information to help investors interested in buying property abroad.
Natasha Al-Atassi is a property investment and travel writer for Select Property, collating the latest news about property investments, tourism and travel opportunities in Dubai, as well as updates on the Select Property brand and information to help investors interested in buying property abroad.
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