Shopping in Dubai

One of Dubai’s greatest visitor attractions is its superb shopping. The city draws large numbers of ‘shopping tourists’ from countries within the region and from as far a field as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.

As an open port with low import duties, Dubai’s retail prices are reasonable and the variety of products available is virtually unrivalled.

Free of tax, many top brand-name products are cheaper in Dubai than in the countries of their origin.

Whatever the visitor’s tastes — be it couture from Paris or Milan, hi-tech electronics from Japan, or a piece of silver Bedouin jewellery — he or she will find it at the right price in Dubai.

In addition to the souk districts and shopping malls listed below, there are many top-class department stores and boutiques throughout the city. Such as: Mercato, Al-mullah Plaza, Holiday Center, Burj-Al-Arab shopping centre, Lamcy, Wafi city.

Dubai definitely deserves the title of shopping capital of the Middle East. Shoppers need not look hard or far for something to spend their money on. Low customs duties make luxury goods cheaper than in most countries, and Dubai Duty Free at the airport is a great place for last-minute shopping -- it's won lots of awards as one of the best duty-free operations in the world.

There are three main places for shopping in the city: shopping malls, souks and the shopping streets or areas. Dubai's shopping malls are typically Western in style, with a variety of shops and big brand names under one roof. Souks are very common in the emirates and tend to be good places to buy gold, fabrics, electronics and traditional Arabic art. Shopping areas include lots of individual shops that usually sell similar items.

Bargaining is acceptable everywhere, even in the malls. Ask for "the best price" and you'll often get a better price "after discount." In the souks, start by halving the asking price and bargaining from there. Paying in cash can help lower the price.

Good buys include clothes and fabrics, carpets and rugs, electronics, sporting goods, perfumes, jewelry and, of course, gold. The Gold Souk in Deira by the creek is one of the largest retail gold markets in the world. Local souvenirs worth hunting for include Arabic coffee pots, silver and brass swords and khanjars (curved daggers), ancient rifles, shisha pipes, porcelain prayer beads, antique silver jewelry, brass trinkets, silver and wooden miniature dhows, Persian carpets and heavy, dark rosewood and walnut furniture.