Shopping in Dubai
Shopping is one of Dubai's main attractions and there is plenty of opportunity to grab both international and local goods. Reduced import duties and the lack of a sales tax keep prices low for everything so the items worth looking out for aren't necessarily what you might expect.
The Dubai Shopping Festival in early February/March is a massive event all over the city. All the larger stores and malls slash prices and you can obtain vast reductions on international goods. Even the haggling in the souks becomes easier (only joking). In addition to bargain hunting all the malls offer entertainment and the world's richest raffle takes place in the city. The Festival normally takes place in early March for a full month.
The UAE's major public holidays are Islamic feast days and celebrations. These occur according to the Islamic calendar through the year. Ramadan lasts for a full month and Muslims do not eat between sunrise and sunset during this time. Shops and services can be heavily affected as the daily cycle of the city changes to accommodate this.
Best Areas
The central business district offers up plenty of shopping opportunity in large-scale modern malls. Here you'll find designer labels from around the world as well as electronic goods, something Dubai is rightly famous for. Everything is available at knock down prices. Check out the large shopping malls dotted around the city, especially around Beniyas Square, Al-Rigga and Al-Hiyafa Road.
The Al Bustan is one of the city's most popular malls. Located in Al Ghusais it is a shopping palace offering some great bargains in its stores, both international and domestic.
Many large hotels comprise international stores as well and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Prices are often higher here than anywhere else in the city but still fall below what you can expect to pay in many places in the world.
Dubai's international airport is renowned as having some of the finest duty-free opportunities in the world. The shopping here is considered nearly as good as that in the city, and you should certainly avail yourself of the advantages of duty-free when either arriving or departing.
At the other extreme of the retail spectrum there are the old souks of Deira and Dubai Souk in Bur Dubai. These offer an atmospheric shopping experience with intoxicating sights, sounds and aromas. In Deira Westerners are often found in the "Electronics Souk", no money back and no guarantees but plenty of software and computer hardware at absolutely rock bottom prices. You get more traditional "Souk flavour" in the Gold or Spice Souk however. The latter is not just home to spice traders - you get traditional tradesmen selling everything from silver teapots to bolts of silk here.
Markets
Although souks have already been mentioned and form the cornerstone of any serious shopping trip it is worth noting that they are divided generally according to the type of merchandise they sell. Jewellery lovers should head for the Gold Souk (Sikkat al-Khali Street) which has over 300 outlets offering some great deals on gold necklaces, rings, bangles, earrings and brooches, with gold prices amongst the lowest in the world. Weight rather than style and design determines the price of gold jewellery.
The Carpet Souk (Bani Yas Square, Deira Tower), unsurprisingly offers a wide section of high quality carpets and rugs. Not always cheap or easily transportable rugs are also one of the most enervating items to bargain for.
The Spice Souk (in the souk complex north of the river) is at once tourist attraction and market. Often called the Old Souk it is no longer solely the province of the spice traders (although a few do remain). This is where to pick up your tourist trophies such as models of dhows and silver goblets.
A colourful experience is on offer at the Fish Souk in Deira. Local fishermen return here with their catches early in the morning and late at night, and then bargain and haggle over prices with the traders. It's a fun insight into the daily life of the city although more of a photo opportunity than a real place to shop.
What to buy
In the city centre shopping malls the best value items tend to be mainly electrical goods and clothing. More esoteric local products include carpets, Bedouin jewellery and Arabian souvenirs. One good area for souvenir hunting is on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, where there are lanes full of textile shops and a blaze of colourful raw silks and cottons hang in profusion in shop windows.
Small textile shops sell veils with decorated edges, pantaloons with embroidered anklets, and dress lengths with similarly embroidered necklines. In the souks the best articles to look for include craft items made in brass, gold, silver and wood.
Opening Hours
s a general rule Dubai's shops are open from 08h00-13h00 and then again from 16h30-20h00 or 21h00.
Larger malls open from 10h00-22h00 and most souks open at least from 08h00-13h00 and then again from 16h00 until late at night.
Shops, malls and souks usually close on Friday mornings.
Tax Refund
There is no sales tax in the United Arab Emirates. In Dubai international airport tourists can obtain duty free prices on international goods and souvenirs, widely considered the best airport shopping in the world.
