29 July 2010 14:16 GMT
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Exploring the city
- Top sights |
- Restaurant picks |
- Hotel picks |
- Bar picks |
- For the family |
- Outdoors |
- Shopping |
Dubai is famous for its shopping, and particularly for its shopping malls. The hot and humid climate means you'll have to stick to air-conditioned indoor venues from around May to October, although there are some open-air or covered souks in the older parts of the city around Dubai creek.
Whether you go for the modern shopping mall or the traditional souk, shops tend to open until 10-11 pm in Dubai. In fact, the outdoor souks are best frequented in the mornings or evenings when the weather is cooler.
Don't forget to haggle in these markets, where a good bit of negotiation can get you a bargain, but don't ask for discounts in the shopping malls where international retail chains dominate and prices are generally fixed.
Near the airport
A range of good shopping options can be found within a short taxi ride of the airport.
- If you like malls, then try out Wafi City (www.wafi.com, +971 4 324 4555), which boasts a good collection of designer brands and is only 10 minutes from Terminal 1 (outside of peak hours). Also in the vicinity is the Deira City Centre (www.deiracitycentre.com), which offers many of the high-street chains available in Europe, including a Virgin megastore.
- Newly-opened near to the airport is the Dubai Festival Centre (www.dubaifestivalcity.com, +971 4 232 5444), which has the advantage of less-congested road access across the new Business Bay bridge. The centre is home to an array of shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as large IKEA and Marks and Spencer outlets.
- If the time of day and year permits, then opt for a more Arabian experience with a visit to the traditional covered markets close to the Dubai creek. The Deira Gold Souk is famous for its collection of jewellery and gold, but also nearby is the Spice Souk and other stalls selling tourist souvenirs including belly-dancing outfits and ornate waterpipes, as well as electronics and household goods. You may well be approached by hawkers offering to sell you imitation designer handbags and watches - if you say yes then don't be surprised if you are led into a series of dark alleys to be shown illicit items from a dusty suitcase.
- Just over the other side of the creek is the Textiles Souk and more electrical goods and souvenir shops. Getting there will take between 20 and 90 minutes, depending on the traffic.
Further afield
Shopping in the newer parts of Dubai is almost completely confined to air-conditioned shopping malls. Some of the bigger and better-known options are listed below:
- The largest shopping centre in Dubai, at least for now, is the Mall of the Emirates (www.malloftheemirates.com). It's home to hundreds of shops, including a Harvey Nichols, Virgin Megastore, Carrefour supermarket, and also the Ski Dubai slope.
- One of the best options for tourists is the Madinat Jumeirah complex (www.madinatjumeirah.com), which is located next to the Burj al-Arab on the seafront. It's a recreation of a traditional Arabian souk and chiefly sells handicraft or souvenir items including carpets, water pipes and Dubai-themed products. Not the place to go if you are looking for a bargain, but you will find a concentration of Arabian and Asian paraphernalia. The complex also includes several bars and restaurants, including some which overlook a man-made canal and lagoon.
- On the outskirts of Dubai, close to Jebel Ali and the site of the future Al Maktoum International Airport, is the Ibn Battuta mall (www.ibnbattutamall.com, +971 4 362 1900). It's themed on the travels of 14th-century explorer Ibn Battuta, who roamed the Middle East and Asia. The mall has zones for different countries, as well as a multiplex cinema with an IMAX screen.
- Known for its collection of designer brands is the BurJuman centre (www.burjuman.com, +971 4 352 0222). The mall is located in Bur Dubai, which is not far from the airport but hard to access by car thanks to the nearby construction of the Dubai Metro.
- For something a bit different, try Dragon Mart. Located close to International City on the desert outskirts of Dubai, this indoor shopping centre has been built in the shape of a 1.2 km-long dragon and sells a weird and wonderful range of imported Chinese goods.
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