Shopping in Dubai

Overview

With very little cultural tourism to speak of coupled with the restrictions imposed on its nightlife by traditional Islamic values, Dubai's initial metamorphosis into a holiday mecca is largely attributable to its unbelievable shopping.  When it comes to brand names, luxury goods, and designer styles, Dubai is unparalleled in the region.

The city has no homegrown arts or handicraft industry, and most of what you will find is sourced from abroad.  So, if you're looking for authentic Arabian artifacts and textiles that are made in Dubai, you aren't likely to find any.  Even so, this is a medical tourism center that makes no bones of the glitzy marketing tactics it uses to attract shoppers the world over to its gargantuan malls, vibrant month-long shopping festivals, and traditional souks and bazaars.  The selection of items is truly vast, and Dubai is easily one of the shopping hubs of Asia.  Shopping is a national pastime here, both for bored locals as well as hardworking expatriates.

Malls and Department Stores

There are malls and then there are the massive amusement park-like malls in Dubai.  The world's tallest building, Burj Dubai (currently under-construction) is expected to house the world's largest shopping centre when completed, with more than 15 separate malls covering a mind boggling 12 million square feet (1.1 million sq m).  It is expected to play host to more than 1,000 international retailers, as well as the largest gold market in the world.  The existing malls, shopping complexes, and department stores are built along equally ambitious lines.  Awaiting the medical tourism visitor is everything from Parisian couture to American street wear, chunky gold jewelry to contemporary diamond pieces, Persian silk rugs to Scandinavian furnishings.

Bazaars

The most famous of the traditional bazaars is the renowned Gold Souk.  A labyrinthine network of narrow alleys and lanes, lined from end to end with gold jewelry showrooms, the Gold Souk is a must-visit even for the medical tourism traveler who is not a fan of the yellow metal.  The best time to visit is during late evening, when the Gold Souk transforms into a gold fantasyland.  Designs tend to lean towards traditional Indian and Arabian styles, but you can find more contemporary pieces too.

Dubai's Spice Souk is everything you would imagine a traditional Arabian spice bazaar to be – long alleyways lined with shops in front of which sit huge barrels of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, bunches of cinnamon sticks, and baskets of dried figs, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and more.

Shopping Districts

For high-end fashion, head to the Jumeirah Beach Road.  For textiles of every kind, check out the shops along Cosmos Lane, and for a wide range of electronics, drop by Al Fahidi Street.  The Karama Market, Al Dhiyafa Road, and Al Riqqa Road are other busy shopping areas that have a vast variety of goods from all over the world. 

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