Shopping in Dubai is an art form. First select your preference: traditional or modern, mall or outdoor market, designer or bargain basement, eclectic souvenirs, a flash of gold or a scent of spice, and culminating in a duty-free bonanza.
With a plethora of malls to choose from, the opportunities are endless to purchase designer labels to high street fashions and everything in between. For a taste of the real Arabia, most visitors head for the souks of Dubai – traditional markets dedicated to a single product or theme such as gold, spices, fruit and vegetables and more, many of which are clustered around the creek and older heritage areas of the city such as Bastakiya.
On Deira side, principle attractions are the spice and gold souk where locals mingle with tourists in search of essential flavours from frankincense to cardamom and dried lemons, and equally essential bling bling.
Gold is always a bargain and is available in every form from rings and bracelets to ornate wedding sets, but there are now alternatives in the form of silver jewellery, precious stones and ethnic items, while more kitsch souvenirs can be found at the Deira Covered Souk with its stuffed camels and wooden dhow models as well as khanjar daggers and dallah Arabic coffee pots.
Elsewhere, Karama is a whole district full of bargains from cheap leather goods and t-shirts through to sunglasses while the fish market is another distinctively different venue with its plethora of maritime treasures, albeit of the edible kind – while Dubai Duty Free lives up to its reputation as one of the world’s must-buy stops for every traveller.
And, if shopping is more than a passion, the time to visit Dubai is during the Dubai Shopping Festival when the whole city becomes a treasure trove of retail delights. Held during the first months of the year, DSF includes fashion shows, children’s entertainments, nightly fireworks, street performers and a daily Aqua Fantasia show as well as emirate-wide discounts on all manner of goods and a host of opportunities to win cars, holidays and more.
Signature highlight is the Global Village, a display of handicrafts and goods in country pavilions that offers visitors a chance to shop the world, all in one destination.
