Locations

Dubai

Shopping

Shopping is something of a national past time in the UAE and one of the major attractions for visitors. Glitzy state-of-the-art malls abound, but have not replaced traditional souqs (markets). The result is a thrilling mix of old and new where the very latest twenty-first century retail delights co-exist with ancient family run businesses that trade as they have done for centuries. Shopping in the UAE really does offer something for everyone.

Traditionally souqs were as much meeting places as trading centres; a hotchpotch of sandy alleys crammed with individual stalls interspersed with tea and coffee houses where men would gather to discuss the day's events over a shisha pipe or cup of tea or gahwa, Arabic coffee. Throughout the country souqs have been preserved and refurbished carefully so that they retain their traditional charm. In some emirates it is possible to buy anything in the souq, from a bag of frankincense, to a gold necklace or a camel. A visit to the souq is one of the quickest ways to immerse yourself in the country's cultural heritage.

In recent years the range of goods sold has increased dramatically to include everything from electrical goods to spare car parts. Generally souqs are divided into areas selling similar items and many are coloquially known by what they sell - such as the spice souq, the fabric souq and the plant souq. The most famous is the gold souk where the narrow streets are lined with shops selling everything golden from 24-carat bars to rings and elaborate necklaces and all at low prices. The tiny lanes of the traditional spice souk are scented with sacks of cinnamon, incense, spices, and dried fruit, while the modern fish souk bustles with activity and is redolent with smells of a more unpleasant nature. At the heart of the Bur Dubai souk lies Al Fahidi Street, selling the latest electronics, photographic equipment and home appliances at competitive prices. Other streets sell everything from materials and carpets to traditional coffee pots, loaves of unleavened bread and hubble-bubble pipes.

A number of huge new malls have opened in recent years. Mall of the Emirates, on Sheikh Zayed Road, featuring Carrefour, Harvey Nicholls, Aspreys and Debenhams, has 223,000 square metres of shops and an indoor ski area. Dubai Festival City near the new Business Bay bridge, houses the largest Marks and Spencers outside the UK, along with a host of designer outlets. Ibn Battuta Mall on Sheikh Zayed Road, not far from Jebel Ali, is a huge themed mall centred on the travels of a renowned fourteenth century explorer. Dubai Mall in 'Downtown Dubai' near Burj Dubai covers 351,000 square metres and Mall of Arabia being built in Dubailand is destined to be the largest in Dubai.