Dubai has the largest and most shopping malls in the region, so it is not an exaggeration to say that there are people who visit Dubai exclusively to shop. To exemplify the importance of shopping many hotels provide transportation to the city’s malls. Normal shopping hours are from 9:00 to 13:00 and then from 16:00 to 21:00. Shopping malls are open from 10:00 to 22:00. On Fridays shops are closed for prayers between 11:00 and 13:30. Some Traditional gifts you can look for are: Arabic coffee pots, antique silver jewellery, brass items, coasters, jewellery boxes and chests sets decorated with lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite and other semi-precious stones, as well as silver and wooden miniature dhows. Remember to bargain, it is a common practice. Because Dubai is an open port with low importing taxes, the prices are very reasonable.
This 12,100.000 square feet mall offers 4 floors of shopping and attracts over 50,000 visitors a day. It is part of the Burj Dubai complex and is the largest mall in the Middle East featuring 15 distinct ‘malls-within-a mall’, comprising of 1200 shops and department stores including the Galleries Lafayette, Debenhams, Bloomingdale's, and Marks & Spencer.
Here one will find the largest Gold Souk with 220 gold and jewellery retail stores, 120 restaurants, the region’s first SEGA indoor theme park with over 150 amusement games, an Aquarium which has the larges Acrylic panel (32.88 m wide × 8.3 m high × 750 mm thick and weighing 245,614 kg) that gives the visitor the opportunity to view more than 33,000 marine animals, a KidZania children’s center, a 22 screen megaplex and an Olympic size Ice Ring. The mall is open Sunday to Wednesday from 10:00 – to 22:00 and Thursday to Saturday from 10:00 to 24:00. Access to the mall is provided via Doha Street. There is also a shuttle bus which you can take from your (or a near by) hotel. For more details visit: http://www.thedubaimall.com/en
The noisy, crowded eastern souks are exiting places and offer a memorable shopping experience. Visit the Gold Souk and you will be convinced that Dubai is truly the City of Gold. Here you can relax and have a cup of Arabic coffee at one of the coffee shops and restaurants while you watch the ‘dhows’ (wooden cargo ships) at the docks unloading their goods from India and the Far East, or walk around and admire the shop windows which are glinting with a variety of gold earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants of various shades of white, pink, yellow and purple gold as well as silver, diamonds, platinum and precious stones jewellery.
Shop around for the best prices (prices are determent by weight) and do bargain, it is expected. Here you will also find shops offering souvenirs and stores selling silk fabrics from India, perfumed oils and spices from Sri Lanka and Africa. The market is open Saturday to Wednesday from 10:00 to 13:00 and then from 17:00 to 22:00 and on Friday from 17:00 to 22:00. It is located o Deira al-Khali Street, near Baniyas Square.
Mercato, which in Italian means market, offers a Mediterranean theme that captures Italian, Spanish and French flavours and it is based on a Renaissance architectural concept. The Mercato was designed by Italian architect, Daniele Morelli who replicated a Mediterranean town with the traditional square where peasants would bring their goods to trade. Eventually markets become places for socializing and served as a venue for community events.
The over 120 Mercato stores offer international fashion, jewellery, perfumes and cosmetics, antique and carpet shops, linen, furniture, appliances and kitchenware stores and music, books and electronic shops. Mercato has a number of restaurants and cafes including Bella Donna, Costa café, Second Cup and Starbuck, a cinema and a children’s entertainment area which offers more than 40 supervised activities. Marcato is located near the Dubai Zoo on Jumeirah Beach Road. It is open Saturday to Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00 and on Friday from 14:00 to 22:00.Phone: 04 3444161.
This is an elegant, high-end mall located in the Egyptian themed Wafi City complex. Among the 350 stores across the 5 levels of the mall are department stores such as Marks and Spenser and shops such as La Senza, Calvin Klein, Versace, Pierre Cardin and Gap. Also there the mall has a number of restaurant and coffee shops spa facilities.
The mall is surrounded by the pyramid shaped 5 stars Raffles Dubai Hotel, the residential Wafi complex and the Planet Hollywood Restaurant. What makes this mall worth a visit is the souk underneath which features beautiful ceilings, lamps and wood carvings. The mall is located near the Grand Cineplex, Al Garhood. It is open Saturday to Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00 and Friday from 6:30 to 22:00. Phone: 4 324-4555. http://www.wafi.com
The Burjunam mall is located in the heart of the city and is one of the first shopping malls of Dubai. It has more than 300 stores including Donna Karan, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Cartier, Rodeo Drive, Stuart Weitzman Polo Ralph Lauren, Escada, Christian Lacroix, Louis Vuitton, Aigner, MaxMara, and NEXT & Guess. It is located on Khalid Bin Waleed Street, and it is open Saturday to Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00 and on Friday from 16:00 to 22:00.