Shopping in Dubai is quite simply a mind-blowing experience that you’ll never forget. From the world’s biggest mall to authentic Arabian-style souks, Dubai is a serious shopper’s paradise. There’s even a “Shopping Festival” each year, so shopping has clearly found its home on Dubai’s national calendar. But shopping in Dubai from abroad can be a daunting prospect, so we’ve got some useful tips on how to make the most of this incredible consumerist experience.
Dubai’s famous malls – shopping out of this world
Shopping in Dubai is a far cry from the homely high streets of Britain. Dubai’s shopping malls are a sensational full day out in their own right. Not only will you find every household brand name under the sun, there are also endless cafés, restaurants and entertainment centres including cinemas, aquariums and even ski slopes. It seems that there’s nothing that can’t be added to one of Dubai’s shopping malls. Dubai’s largest mall attracts over 750,000 visitors every week, so shopping here is serious business. Check out the fashion boutiques for some great designer clothing sales and bargains.
Shop for diamonds in Dubai
For a diamond ring with a sparkle that will last a lifetime, Dubai is the place to go. With unbeatable prices and world-class expertise and knowledge, Dubai has countless gold and diamond stores where you can find some incredible deals, as well as the Dubai Diamond Exchange. You can buy your diamonds face to face by visiting the famous gold souks, an experience in itself, or buy your diamond through an online retailer such as Dubai Rocks and choose in advance. This will often get you the best possible deal, as online retail experts don’t have the same overheads and can offer more competitive prices on the diamonds you buy.
Soak up the atmosphere in the Souks
Dubai’s souks are a world apart from the ultra-modern malls. This is the closest you will get to a taste of authentic Dubai and a visit to the souks is all about enjoying the sounds, smells, colours and unique atmosphere on offer. The most popular souks to visit include the spice souk, which is a real treat for the senses, the perfume souk, the textile souk and of course the famous gold souk. This tantalizing array of shops literally glitters with gold, and each window is packed to the brim with gold jewellery. Walking through the gold souk you can easily see why Dubai has earned itself the name of City of Gold.
From the slick, modern wonder of Dubai’s biggest shopping malls to the authentic and bustling souks, Dubai provides an unmissable shopping experience. The malls can offer the world’s best known brands alongside high quality entertainment and cuisine, while the al fresco shopping of the souks makes for a refreshing change. Whether you’re shopping for gold and diamonds, local spices or high-end designer clothing, shopping in Dubai from abroad is an experience that won’t easily be forgotten.
Aside from hospitable citizens, luxurious restaurants, and pristine beaches, Dubai also boasts numerous world-class boutiques. The boutiques are strategically located in different parts of the vibrant city and due to stiff competition; each boutique tries to offer unique items at special prices in order to stand out from the rest. The following are some of the best independent boutiques you can visit while in Dubai:
Souk Madinat Jumeirah
S*uce (Sauce)
S*uce is one of the most modern boutiques in Dubai. It offers elegant clothes, jewellery, and shoes from a variety of well-known designers such as Tsumori Chisato, Isabela Capeto, Karta, and Phillip Lim. Although it is a little bit pricey, S*Uce turns out to be the best choice for those who value the real meaning of style and sophistication.
Harvest Home
As its name suggests, this homely store is an excellent place to reap some of Dubai’s most original and quirky gifts such as jewellery and designer clothes. It offers plenty of artefacts that will turn your home into a personal oasis, and bring a little bit of Dubai into your place.
Gold Souk
Gold Souk stands out as one the most traditional markets in Dubai offering diverse jewellery. It houses over 300 beautiful stores equipped with necklaces, bracelets, and rings made of gold and silver. Notable jewellery stores/retailers found here include ARY Jewellery, Joy Alukkas, Damas, and Shyam Jewellery.
Gold Souk
Gold Souk is not far from the Covered Souk and the Old Souk Marine Transport Station. The best time to visit Dubai’s famous souks is late in the afternoon when the corridors are full of eager buyers and the stores are offering cheap prices and wonderful discounts.
Fleurt
Fleurt is not only a boutique, but also one of Dubai’s most sought after tourist destinations. It is located along Jumeirah Road, not far from the Jumeirah Beach and offers designer clothes from Soul Revival and Betsey Johnson. If you love cheeky party frocks and innovative wedding dresses, try your best to visit this luxury holiday destination while you are in Dubai.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah
This market is located inside an ancient complex. It houses more than 70 jewellery stores, 20 coffee shops, 25 bars and numerous restaurants. Here you can buy handicrafts, jewels, clothes, colourful furnishings, and other typical products. It offers soft toys, T-shirts, necklaces, watches, and earrings, just to mention a few.
Boom & Mellow
Boom & Mellow describes itself as Dubai’s first high-end accessories boutique. It offers a wide variety of precious and semi-precious jewellery, shawls, bags, dresses, belts, and other small gift items. What makes Boom & Mellow stand out from other boutiques in Dubai is the emphasis on introducing little-known designers that seem to set new trends instead of following old trends.
Ginger & Lace
When you visit the popular holiday destination of Dubai, don’t fail to go to the Ginger & Lace Boutique. The boutique offers an electric mix of colourful dresses, kaftans, and skirts, and sparkling jewellery from niche brands such as Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson. The items are not only beautiful, but also very affordable.
Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is the largest and the most amazing shopping festival in the Middle East. While attracting millions of visitors from all over the world, it offers a huge variety of events, activities, entertainment, and promotions every year.
Dubai Shopping Festival starts with the New Year with a totally amazing number of events and performances, plus the world’s best brands, promotions and deals. Over a month-long, you have this opportunity to experience a list of amazing entertainment and enjoy a perfect and memorable shopping experience. From surprising discounts and special offers, to the opportunity of winning life-changing prizes such as luxury cars, gold and cash, you will enjoy one one the best shopping experiences ever, while having lots of fun.
And nothing’s better than sharing a memorable shopping experience with your friends and family while visiting Dubai for this very magnificent shopping festival. Not only is the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) the largest shopping and entertaining festival in the Middle East, but it’s also the longest running festival of its kind all over the world.
Attractions
Dubai Shopping Festival is something very spectacular that no one wants to miss. During DSF, Dubai becomes an amazing colorful stage for great performances, events, and entertainment, that every single person wants to be there.
Most of the parks and streets turn into theatres, attracting all the audiences with non-stop entertainment. This entertainment includes folk dancing in national costumes, live music and international concerts performed by global music icons, circus acts such as unicyclists, stilt walkers, jugglers, and mime artists lining the streets, amazing fireworks, fashion shows, fun fair rides, pop-up restaurants and markets to enjoy, traditional Emirati heritage events like the Fazza Championships, and much more.
Deals & Promotions From Amazing Brands
Let’s get inspired by the great deals and promotions during Dubai Shopping Festival 2015. From the beautiful street markets, to amazing traditional souks, and luxurious shopping malls, you have this great opportunity to take advantage of the high-end offerings.
A truly surprising huge sale is on offer to the shoppers this year during DSF. From gorgeous accessories, to clothing, to designer fashion brands, and home decor, all the prices have been reduced from 25% to 50%, and even up to 75% – and while purchasing these items, you will receive free gifts and amazing stuff as well.
E.g. the Dine & Win promotion during Dubai Shopping Festival 2014 offered customers spending AED 100 at participating restaurants for the chance to win a prize of AED 350,000 in cash. And not to mention the other great promotions such as incredible holiday packages, while enjoying the fantastic five-star hotels.
Win Prizes
This is just the right time to take a chance and surprise yourself! DSF is where you have the chance to find the best deals, biggest promotions, and most surprising gifts ever!
It’s like there is almost no end to the possibilities of winning fantastic prizes. The number of winners and the prizes are simply mind-blowing. For almost two decades, the DSF has offered more than AED 1.7 billion in prizes in different forms, including 33 Rolls-Royces and 734 kg of gold. Malls, shopping centres and retail stores offer gift vouchers, scratch and win coupons, and many other opportunities to win amazing prizes and discounts.
For more information visit DSF official website http://www.mydsf.ae/
Dubai is a shopper’s paradise. It caters for every preference and taste between its collection of gigantic shopping malls and traditional souks. However, if you are on a budget or in a mood for some haggling, Dubai Flea Market is the place for you.As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This is so true for flea markets where sellers come to dispose of their unwanted stuff, and buyers flock to get a bargain.
What is Dubai Flea Market?
Launched in 2008 by a German expat Melanie Beese, it is a second-hand marketplace where people can buy and sell used items ranging from household items to home appliances, furniture, garments, toys, books and possibly everything under the sun.
First event of Dubai Flea Market was launched at Safa Park. Initially, the exhibitors mostly consisted of European expats, who were familiar with the concept of flea markets. Other residents and locals got it with time and started to visit and exhibit. Now the bazaar is visited by more than 13,000 visitors buzzing around 300 stands, on a good day. The idea was successful in Dubai due to consistent arrival and departure of expats who are either looking to
get rid of the stuff that they don’t want to take back or want to buy stuff to be used during their temporary stay.
How to buy and sell at Dubai Flea Market?
If you wish to buy from any of the flea markets, all you have to do is to carry some cash and visit the flea market near you. Generally, visitor entry is free. However, at some locations like Zabeel Park, visitors have to pay a nominal entry fee like AED 5.
The basic rule for sellers is that they can sell second-hand items and handicrafts only. It is strictly prohibited to sell counterfeit good and items of commercial interest. Foods items are also not allowed. Retailers, traders and commercial vendors are not allowed to exhibit or sell their products. A strict check is kept by the organizers to make sure that the rules are followed by the sellers.
Once you have check-marked the previously mentioned rules, you can move to the second and most important step: Book a stand. Generally, a stand costs AED 270. A typical stand package will include one table, two chairs and two exhibitor wristbands. Exhibitors without the wristbands are not allowed to take part in the market. The organizers allow up to four exhibitors per stand, extra chairs have to be paid for separately.
Exhibitors have two payment options available. They can either register and pay online or register online and pay through CashEx pick up service. In case of cancellation, the organizers will refund the registration fee if cancellation is made 72 hours before the event.
Dubai Flea Market originally started at Safa Park. However, due to the ongoing constructions in that area, it has now moved to Zabeel Park. Apart from that, the bazaar is organized at some other locations around Dubai. Some of the venues and dates are as follows:
Zabeel Park Flea Market (every first Saturday of each month)
Uptown Mirdiff Flea Market (every second Friday of each month)
Ibn Battuta Mall (every second Saturday of each month)
Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) – (every third Saturday of each month)
Further details about venues and dates for upcoming markets can be checked at their website.
The flea markets are a heaven for bargains and a gold mine for the merchants. Whether you want to unclutter your cupboards by disposing off the unwanted stuff or you are looking out for some bargains, visit Dubai Flea Market and enjoy a busy day of haggling around.
Dubai Flea Market Contacts
Official Website: http://www.dubai-fleamarket.com Contact Number: +971553057389 / +971506595812
Kids are cute but they grow sooo fast, right? You need to buy them new clothes all the time. Besides the fact that children need seasonable clothings, they also should be made from sturdy fabric, need to be comfortable and in style too. If you are looking for a one stop baby shop in Dubai, here you can find the location and timings of the major babyshop stores in the city of Dubai.
Baby Shop Dubai Mall
Location:
Financial Centre Road
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Sunday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Monday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Tuesday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Wednesday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Thursday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Friday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Saturday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Baby Shop in Mall of the Emirates
Location:
E11 Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai – United Arab Emirates \h
Opening hours:
Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00 GST
Monday from 10:00 to 22:00 GST
Tuesday from 10:00 to 22:00 GST
Wednesday from 10:00 to 22:00 GST
Thursday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Friday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Saturday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Contact no: +971 4 3410604
Baby Shop on Trade Center Road
Location:
Trade Centre Road
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Opening hours:
Sunday from 10:00 to 23:00 GST
Monday from 10:00 to 23:00 GST
Tuesday from 10:00 to 23:00 GST
Wednesday from 10:00 to 23:00 GST
Thursday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Friday from 10:00 to 24:00 GST
Saturday from 10:00 to 23:00 GST
Contact no: +971 4 3599953
And when at the end of the year the wardrobes are full of children clothes screaming “too small” you can always sell them online or head to the Dubai flea market where people who are on a budget hang out to find the best bargains.
– Where is Meena Bazaar in Dubai – Meena Bazaar on the map – History of the Meena Bazaar – Opening hours – Jewelry and diamond shops – Where to grab a bite – Driving around the Meena Bazaar – A day at the Meena Bazar
Where is Meena Bazaar in Dubai?
Meena Bazaar is a shopping area located close to Khalid Bin Waleed Street in Bur Dubai. You can get there by car there are several parking lots in the area but getting a parking space is like hitting the jackpot.
For a more stress free shopping at the Meena Bazaar use the public transportation network. You can easily get there by bus, C7 stops at the Faheidi, Roundabout or use the Dubai Metro and get off at Al Fahidi Metro Station 2 on the green line.
Meena Bazaar Map
Here is a map to quickly find the Meena Bazaar in Dubai
The short history of the Meena Bazaar
Meena Bazaar was originally called Cosmos Lane, but taxi drivers in Dubai began calling it Meena Bazaar because of the many well-dressed mannequins of the textile stores on Al Fahidi street resembled Delhi’s Meena Bazaar. In the 1970s a shop in Bur Dubai changed its name from Shardha Trading to Meena Bazaar, and the title caught on from there. Today Meena Bazaar is a perfect option for old-fashioned shopping in Dubai.
Opening hours at the Meena Bazaar in Dubai
If you would like to go on a shopping spree at the Meena Bazaar in Dubai please note that shops are open from Saturday to Thursday between 08:00 GST and 23:59 GST, Friday from 14:00 Gulf Standard Time until midnight.
Shops are closed daily during lunch break usually lasting 30 minutes to an hour. Please note also that during the Ramadan the working hours in the UAE are reduced by two hours per day.
Jewelry & diamond shops
The first jewellery shop in Meena Bazaar area opened in 1982 after several gold stores from Deira Gold Souq moved to the area for cheaper rents. Today the Meena Bazaar shopping area is full of diamond and gold shops where you can buy jewelry at half price.
Food and drink at the Meena Bazaar
Sometimes shopping around can be exhausting. But don’t worry, there are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants in Bur Dubai where you can recharge your batteries, taste the oriental cuisine and drink a cup of hot coffee.
Rangoli Restaurant Bur Dubai
The Rangoli is a vegetarian restaurant at the heart of the Meena Bazaar serving Gujarati buffet, South Indian dishes and fresh juices. A perfect spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Location
Meena Bazar (Cosmos Lane)
51375 Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Driving around the Meena Bazaar – VIDEO
Meena Bazaar is a shopping area not a single souq or bazaar it’s rather a conglomerate of shopping streets in Bur Dubai. Come take a drive with us.
A day at the Meena Bazar
I am not so fond of being in crowded places, but that day, I was compelled to be at the Meena Bazar Bur Dubai a popular market in Dubai.
It all started on a Thursday evening, when my brother came to my place and we were planning to buy wedding clothes for him online. In spite of trying to convince him to get his accurate measurements from a local tailor so that we could order them, he did not heed my advice. Therefore, the following day, we decided to search for a wedding suit for him, as well as bridesmaid clothes for my four-year old daughter.
That Friday, being a weekend in Dubai, all shops were to open at around four in the afternoon. Meena Bazar, located in Bur Dubai area, was about forty minutes drive from my residence. So, I set off at around three o’clock, with Beenal and Pravesh. On the way, we chatted, listened to music in the car and Pravesh was so excited that he kept on checking his long list to see if he had missed anything.
I looked at him, a bit irritated, when he uttered happily, “Come on, it’s the first time I am getting married!’’
“It better be the last!’’ I replied.
Soon we could hear ourselves laughing to the top of our voice. I always loved to be around my only brother. We were in separable since childhood and until now we still are. We consider ourselves lucky to have been able to move to Dubai in 2005, on the same flight, with the same company. Meanwhile, Beenal was busy admiring the skyscrapers on the famous Sheikh Zayed Road. At four, she was smart enough to know some of the names of the buildings- like Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa.
Finally we reached Bur Dubai and now we had to hunt for a free parking space. Parking was one of the reasons I hated to be there. I drove round and about and when I could not find any space, I decided to look for paid parking, which I managed to spot. As we got down from the car to wander, we saw that the narrow streets were already congested with bicycles, cars and people. But what I liked about Meena Bazaar, was that it was so lively, with people speaking different languages and of different nationalities; Indians, Pakistanis, Arabs, Africans, Afghanis, to name a few. There were so many shops where you could purchase clothes for all occasions, jewelries in unique models, shoes of different designs, tapestries like those in the fairy tales of “Aladdin and the Lamp” and foods from international cuisines.
However, there were many hawkers who would be following you and requesting you to buy stuffs which were supposedly branded, but a very low cost. There would be items like ‘leather’ watches, bags, shoes and reputed designers’ sunglasses.
Nonetheless, we managed to find a shop where we could buy all the stuffs we were looking for all-in-one place how time-saving it was! Although bargaining was not authorized, we managed to get discounts and high class service for being ‘good’ buyers.
On the other hand, seeing Beenal so overwhelmed at discovering a totally new environment made me also feel quite comfortable, as it was something different from our routine-like an adventure. So, from that day onwards, I decided that I would visit Meena Bazar again, only when it would be required.
