Dubai Shopping Guide

It is no secret that the city of Dubai is world famous for shopping and tourism. With respect to this, it also hosts The Dubai Shopping Festival where brands offer huge discounts, crazy promotions, citywide sales and raffles  along with entertainment, food fairs, fireworks along with traditional performances and cultural activities. The mega malls in the city boast of a stunning showcase of international brands making it a shoppers paradise.

Lavish, luxurious and opulent are a few words which describe the malls of Dubai aptly

I've already spoken of the Dubai Mall in an earlier post. Situated in Downtown Dubai, right next to the world's tallest skyscraper - The Burj Khalifa, is the Dubai Mall - the largest shopping mall in the world. Apart from hosting 1200 of the world’s top brands it also features various leisure activities such as cinemas, a skating rink, arcades and fine dining. The 10-million liter Dubai Aquarium tank, situated on the ground level of The Dubai Mall, is the largest suspended aquarium in the world, a spectacle to behold. Another exciting feature of the mall is the world’s largest dancing fountain, located outside on the lower ground Waterfront Promenade. The fountain sprays are in sync with contemporary and Arabic music and people flock to watch the show every day.

Another mall worth a mention is the opulent Mall of the Emirates. This stunning shopping center is one of the city's most beautiful malls, with polished marble floors, spacious avenues and a stunning skylight. It boasts the best selection of shops, like the swish Harvey Nichols, dozens of chic boutiques, exclusive designer stores, fantastic shoe and accessory stores, cosmetics supermarkets, a massive Virgin Megastore and Borders bookshop, cinemas and theater, art galleries, a theater and more. And what else do you ask? This mall also has Ski Dubai, a huge man made indoor ski slope. Yup, a ski slope with real snow inside a mall. Dubai is awesome like that.

On the right, you can see the ski slope in the Mall of the Emirates

While Dubai has an abundance of sleek shopping malls, it also has bustling souqs (Middle Eastern-style bazaars) which Dubai has historically been famous for. These souqs are not just for tourists, they're where the real people shop for everyday things. Right from fake designer bags to pots and pans to digital gadgets, they have it all. If you're looking for the Souq experience in luxury, don't miss the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Situated inside the Madinat Jumeirah Resort (where I had stayed on my trip to Dubai) it boasts of private waterways to transfer people from its shops, bars and restaurants to the neighboring clutch of hotels.  This stunning, air-conditioned, contemporary version of a souq is the place to head when you don't want to face the chaos of the real souqs. In this beautiful "Old Arabian" styled shopping center with wooden arcades, wind-towers, and lovely courtyards, you can shop in comfort for fine quality carpets, handicrafts, souvenirs and gifts. Prices are obviously higher than at the souqs, but the quality is better. You'll also find fashion, jewelry, leather and accessories, and dozens of restaurants, cafés and bars where you can relax, make new shopping lists, or assess the damage done to your credit card! 

Souk Madinat Jumeirah

To plan a trip within your budget, check out the exchange rates so that you can make the most of your trip to Dubai. All in all, if you have money to burn, then Dubai is made for you. Besides its opulent malls and uber luxurious hotels, the city has beautiful beaches for you to relax by the day and a bustling nightlife with an array of swish clubs for you to party at night. As I've said before, I loved the city and am dying to go there again. Lets pray I can make it to the Dubai Shopping Festival 2014!