There are a huge number of retail outlets in the emirate with both tourists and residents spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping. However, it is not so easy to find out where specific items or products are sold and where to locate them. For this reason, we have prepared an article with a selection of the best places to shop in Dubai and some of the best shopping offers in the emirate.
In Dubai, one can find some very favorable offers on specific categories of products. The city's shops offer attractive retail prices for a variety of goods due to low import duties.
The production of precious metals is highly developed in Dubai and the storage of silver and gold bars is widespread across the city. Among all the Emirates in the UAE, only Dubai is called the "City of Gold", due to the leading derivatives exchange in the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) — Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).
Gold futures of this exchange were launched with the introduction of a gold bullion futures contract in 2006. Due to The DGCX Gold Futures contract, an international reference price contract for gold is provided for investors, hedgers, speculators and arbitrageurs. The lot size is 32 troy ounces. Tick size is USD 0.10 per troy ounce and tick value is USD 3.2. Real-time prices are available under the marketwatch link on the DGCX website.
The open-air shopping district in Dubai, where you can buy various jewelry, gold, silver, tableware and precious stones, is called the Dubai Gold Souk. There are more than 300 jewelry stores here where you can buy products from some of the world's leading diamond and jewelry brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Chopard and many more. The market is located in the Deira district, Al Daghaya.
It is recommended to barter when choosing goods on Dubai Gold Souk. Before shopping, you can study the exchange prices for gold. In addition, at the entrance in front of the market, there is a scoreboard showing prices per gram for all types of metal.
Gold bars and coins in Dubai can also be purchased at gold ATMs "Gold to Go", which were installed in the Dubai Mall, Galeries Lafayette, the Burj Khalifa, Intercontinental Dubai, Ski Dubai and Mall of the Emirates Dubai. Gold ATMs sell gold bars and coins of various weights:
Gold bars and coins are automatically packed in a gift box after purchase. The price of gold is specified with the help of a special computer system every ten minutes. All products in the gold vending machines can be purchased for cash or using debit or credit cards. The price of 1 gram of gold in the ATM is AED 175 (USD 48), for 5 grams — AED 760 (USD 207), and for 1 ounce — AED 4,645 (USD 1,265).
Note: There are no restrictions on the number of gold bars that a tourist can buy and store in Dubai. The purchase of gold in Dubai is profitable, due to its significant volumes and the absence of taxes on the purchase and sale of gold.
Gold bars and coins in Dubai can also be purchased at gold ATMs "Gold to Go", which were installed in the Dubai Mall, Galeries Lafayette, the Burj Khalifa, Intercontinental Dubai, Ski Dubai and Mall of the Emirates Dubai. Gold ATMs sell gold bars and coins of various weights:
Gold bars and coins are automatically packed in a gift box after purchase. The price of gold is specified with the help of a special computer system every ten minutes. All products in the gold vending machines can be purchased for cash or using debit or credit cards. The price of 1 gram of gold in the ATM is AED 175 (USD 48), for 5 grams — AED 760 (USD 207), and for 1 ounce — AED 4,645 (USD 1,265).
Note: There are no restrictions on the number of gold bars that a tourist can buy and store in Dubai. The purchase of gold in Dubai is profitable, due to its significant volumes and the absence of taxes on the purchase and sale of gold.
Dubai Multi Commodity Center (DMCC) is a world-class free economic zone, which is an excellent place to buy and store gold and silver. Trade of a wide range of goods is promoted and facilitated in this zone: precious metals, diamonds and various industrial materials.
The price for one gram of gold in Dubai is AED 217 (USD 59), for 10 grams — AED 2,177 (USD 593), for 1 ounce — AED 6,772 (USD 1,844). The price for 1 gram of silver in Dubai is AED 3 (USD 0.82), for 10 grams — AED 32 (USD 8,71), and for 1 ounce — AED 100 (USD 27,23).
Every year tourists from all over the world come to Dubai to rest, relax and to shop. The most popular goods bought in the shopping malls are clothes and shoes, and perfumery and jewelry, which are mainly made of gold. Oriental sweets and spices are also in high demand among tourists because they best convey the local culture of the Emirates and they can be taken back home as souvenirs.
There are clothes and shoes of almost every popular brand in the numerous shopping malls in Dubai. For example, in the biggest and most popular mall in the city — The Dubai Mall — you can find brands such as Victoria's Secret, Adidas, H&M, Reebok, Zara, Waikiki, Pierre Cardin and Nike.
Buying fur coats is widespread among tourists in Dubai. One of the most common places to buy fur coats is Nasser Square (Baniyas Square), where there are more than a hundred boutiques that specialize in selling fur. You can also buy high-quality fur coats in stores such as Planeta Меха, Braschi — Fur Coats Boutique, Manzari Furs, Mio Palazzo, and Scandinavia Furs. Many of the stores provide an additional free service in the form of a transfer from the buyer's hotel to the store and back.
Prices are about the same everywhere but can vary, depending on the quality of the goods and materials. After haggling, you could obtain a discount of 20-25%. The approximate price category of fur coats is AED 5,500—37,000 (USD 1,500—10,100). The best time to buy fur coats in Dubai is during the seasonal sales at the Dubai Shopping Festival. During the festival, you can buy fur coats and other clothing items at a very good discount. Dubai Shopping Festival 2022 will start on 15th December, 2021 and will last for one month, with the last day of the festival on 29th January, 2022.
There are also other popular sales and festivals in Dubai where you can buy clothes, shoes or pretty much anything else with a good discount:
Jewelry is considered to be the most popular product in Dubai. There are a huge number of boutiques specializing in the sale of jewelry in the city: Khushi Jewellers, ZAIBA JEWELS, Joyalukkas Jewellery, Damiani Jewellery and so on. Other popular places to buy jewellery are the Dubai Gold Souk and the Gold & Diamond Park.
Jewelers in Dubai use 22-karat gold in order to create simple chains, bracelets and rings. To create jewelry with precious stones, including diamonds, a more durable 18-karat gold is used. When buying jewelry in Dubai, it is recommended to ask sellers for a digital certificate of authenticity. The certificate contains information about the gold sample in carats, the weight of gold and precious stones in the product as well as payment for the work of the jeweler, which will all be included in the price of the jewelry. A digital certificate of authenticity is required to confirm the value of the purchased jewelry.
The price of gold jewelry almost always depends on the market value of gold. Before buying jewelry, you can study the information on the website via the Dubai Gold & Jewelry Group. This is where you can see the current suggested retail gold jewelry price on the site.
Please note! In Dubai, as with the rest of the UAE, there is a value-added tax (VAT) of 5%. But tourists who come to Dubai for shopping can refund the VAT amount using the Tax-Free system. A refund is possible within 90 days from the date of purchase. You will need a special VAT receipt in order to claim a VAT refund, which can be obtained from almost all outlets. The return is carried out in specialized terminals at airports, seaports, customs and border control points. Moreover, the purchase price must exceed AED 250 (USD 68).
In shopping malls and perfume stores in Dubai, you can find all the popular perfume brands. Popular perfume stores in Dubai include Ajmal Perfumes, AL Waha Perfumes, SEPHORA and the House of Niche Boutique.
The best place to choose and buy perfume is the Dubai Perfume Souk (30 Al Sur Street, Dubai), which is located in close proximity to the Dubai Gold Souk. Tourists can also buy various incense, fragrance souvenirs and oriental oil perfumes at the market. Oriental perfumes are created according to old recipes based on wax and without the addition of alcohol. The most popular aromas of oriental perfumes are musk, jasmine, amber, rose, frankincense, sandalwood, cedar and orange blossom.
In the Dubai Perfume Souk, you can buy your own individual perfumes that can be made especially for you in one of the stores. Firstly, you select the notes you like, and then the seller will mix them and create a unique fragrance just for you. The cost of bespoke perfume in Dubai, depends on the volume and on the prices of ingredients.
The price of spirits also depends on the amount of product purchased and can start from AED 6 (USD 1,7) for a small roller vial and go up to AED 3,000—4,000 (USD 816—1,100) for a bottle. If you buy several packages, you can haggle over the price. The more items, the greater the discount sellers are willing to give. With the right approach, you can easily drop 30% to 40% off the original price.
Note: The market very rarely discounts perfumes from famous world-renowned brands, and if you find it in one of the showcases, it is most likely a fake.
A favorite delicacy among tourists in Dubai are oriental sweets, such as Turkish delight, nougat, baklava, sherbet, halva and luqaimat (flour balls with honey and sesame). Popular stores selling oriental sweets and confectionery in Dubai include Iranian Sweets, Arabian Delights, Al Baba Sweets, Choc and Nuts. Cakes in Iranian Sweets cost AED 80—85 (USD 21—23). Premium dried figs per 100G costs AED 7 (USD 2). Assorted baklava 1 kg gift box costs AED 163 (USD 44.5), Nougat and Malban gift box costs from AED 50 (USD 13.6), and a Dates Gift Box costs from AED 83 (USD 22.6) in Al Baba Sweets.
The Dubai Spice Souk is a traditional place to buy all kinds of spices in Dubai and is situated near Dubai Gold Souk and Deira Perfume Souk. Within the market, you can find all kinds of dried flowers, saffron, cardamom, turmeric, capsaicin, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon sticks and much more. As with all other markets in Dubai, it is recommended to bargain with sellers when buying goods. The initial cost of spices may seem high, but the price can be brought down by about 30—35%. In addition, it is recommended to have cash in dirhams with you because card payment is not available everywhere. The most expensive spice in Dubai is saffron, with a price of up to AED 22,000 (USD 6,000) for a kilogram of this spice. Another expensive spice is vanilla: the approximate price for 45 grams of vanilla reaches AED 734 (USD 200).
There are many shopping places in Dubai where you can buy a variety of goods at very low prices. Dubai Waterfront Market on the Deira Corniche is one of the best places for inexpensive shopping in the city, where you can find fresh seafood, meat, poultry, spices, vegetables and fruits. The prices of products in this market are much cheaper than in other stores. For example, fruit baskets in the Dubai Waterfront Market can cost AED 1 (USD 0.27). The market is open round-the-clock, seven days a week.
The center of Chinese goods in Dubai is the wholesale market Dragon Mart. Here you can buy clothes, shoes, sports accessories, carpets, bicycles, scooters, home decor items and toys at very low prices. The price for decorative items starts from AED 2 (USD 0.5), for lamps — from AED 6 (USD 1.6), and carpets can be purchased from AED 19 (USD 5). Electric scooters such as the Xiaomi Electric Scooter Pro 2 cost AED 1,899 (USD 517) in the market.
Branded clothing at discounted prices can be purchased at the Outlet Village shopping mall, which is designed in the style of a medieval city. The shopping mall is home to a large number of branded stores, such as Roberto Cavalli, Calvin Klein, Armani, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Adidas just to name a few. Discounts on branded clothing in Outlet Village can reach 70%, 80% and 90%.
Another great place to buy second-hand branded items at a discount is Garderobe. The store offers bags, shoes and accessories from Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino and Celine. Their prices range from AED 500 (USD 136) to AED 40,000 (USD 10,900).
There are several favorite ecommerce sites for residents and tourists of Dubai, where you can buy clothes, shoes and various accessories online.
Shopping in Dubai is considered one of the best in the world. The city has an incredible number of shopping malls, shops, boutiques and markets, offering a wide range of goods.
Shopping malls in Dubai have always been one of the more favorable places for tourists to spend time in. The main reason for the popularity of shopping malls in the emirate are their huge variety of shops and boutiques with goods from every famous brand you could ever think of across the world. In addition, there are many options for recreation and entertainment inside the shopping malls of Dubai like movie theatres, ice rinks, cafes, restaurants, and playgrounds.
The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping and entertainment center. The mall is located in the central district of Dubai, where the main attractions of the city are concentrated in Downtown Dubai. The total area of the Dubai Mall is more than 12M sq. ft (which equals 200 soccer fields), of which retail space occupies 3.7M sq. ft. There are more than 1,200 shops, a cinema, the famous Dubai Aquarium and ice rink and a huge number of cafes and restaurants both inside and outside the vicinity.
Location: Financial Center Street, along the Sheikh Zayed Road, next to Burj Khalifa
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 12 Midnight (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 01:00 AM)
Phone number: +971 800 382246255
The Mall of the Emirates is a large shopping and entertainment center, which is located in Al Barsha 1 district. The total area of the mall is more than 6.5M sq. ft, of which retail space occupies 2.4M sq. ft. The shopping and entertainment complex has more than 560 stores, the Ski Dubai indoor ski resort, the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirate, VOX cinema, the Dreamscape virtual reality park, as well as numerous cafes and restaurants.
Location: Sheikh Zayed Road - Al Barsha 1
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight
Phone number: +971 800 6636255
WAFI Shopping Center is an elite shopping and entertainment complex in an ancient Egyptian style, in which there are more than 200 stores, including famous designer brands such as Roberto Cavalli, Burberry and Chopard. The area of the shopping complex is 861,112 sq. ft. In addition, there is the Encounter Zone entertainment center and a spa.
Location: Oud Metha Road - Umm Hurair 2
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Thursdays and Fridays until midnight)
Phone: +971 4 324 4555
The Dubai Marina Mall is named after its close proximity to Dubai Marina. The total area of the shopping center is 390,000 sq. ft. and has 140 stores, a children's play area, a cinema, restaurants and cafes. Dubai Marina Mall regularly hosts children's parties, carnivals and other events.
Location: Sheikh Zayed Road - Dubai Marina
Open: Daily from 10 AM to 10 PM (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 11 PM)
Phone: +971 4 436 1020
Ibn Battuta Mall is the biggest themed shopping mall in the world. The mall is decorated in the style of the famous travels of Ibn Battuta. The mall consists of six pavilions and each of the pavilions represents different regions in which Ibn Battuta traveled: Andalusia, Tunisia, Persia, India, China and Egypt. There are more than 250 shops, a cinema, cafes and restaurants.
Location: Sheikh Zayed Road - Jebel Ali Village
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Thursdays and Fridays until midnight)
Phone: +971 4 368 5543
The supermarkets listed below offer a wide selection of high-quality food products with each grocery brand having several branches around the city.
The French hypermarket Carrefour is one of the largest supermarkets in Dubai with inexpensive prices for food and goods for children. In addition to the usual sections, the store has a separate aisle with organic products. The Carrefour supermarket chain has a special online app, in which customers can accumulate points from purchases and use them for their next trip in the store. Customers can also order for delivery of products and goods from Carrefour using the following link: https://www.carrefouruae.com
On the website of the store, you can order goods at a price of AED 5 (USD 1.36), as well as goods at discounts of 8% to 52%. For example, red seedless grapes you can buy here for a price of AED 29.95 (USD 8.15) per kg, red cherry tomatoes 250g — for AED 5.25 (USD 1.43), organic milk — for AED 9.60 (USD 2.61) per liter. As for the prices of fish and meat products, you can buy:
The price of goods is given including the addition of VAT and excluding discounts. Payment can be made either on the site of the store or upon delivery to the courier.
Spinneys is one of the best supermarkets in Dubai, offering a wide range of high-quality products. Spinneys offers its customers the delivery of food and household goods, which makes the process of buying products even more convenient. The official website of the supermarket is https://www.spinneys.com/en-ae/catalogue/. As for prices, you can buy here:
The minimum order amount for delivery is AED 100 (USD 27). In addition, for deliveries of less than AED 350 (USD 95.29), an additional fee of AED 15 (USD 4.08) is charged, and for amounts above AED 350, delivery is free.
Waitrose is a premium British supermarket brand, the distinctive feature of which is very high-quality food products. You can find organic fruits, fresh vegetables, meat and a wide range of dairy products, pasta and confectionery on the shelves of the supermarket.
Customers can order products online on the store's official website (https://www.waitrose.ae/en/catalogue/). The minimum online order amount is AED 100 (USD 27) and an order of more than AED 350 (USD 95) is delivered to the buyer free of charge. In order to receive an order for less than AED 350, you need to pay for delivery at a fixed rate — AED 15 (USD 4).
The Lulu hypermarket offers a wide variety of food products, and the affordable prices and promotions make the store even more attractive to customers. The supermarket is known for its Indian, Australian and Pakistani meat cuts, due to which Lulu's food stores are especially popular with the Indian expats in the city. Spacious and convenient parking is available for supermarket customers in almost all of Lulu’s locations. Food can be ordered via delivery on the official website of the store: https://www.luluhypermarket.com/en-ae/.
The price of grocery delivery depends on your place of residence and the set of the basket. In this case, you will be able to see its cost directly in the cart on the site. When delivering groceries at home you will need to show the courier documents as proof of identity (passport, ID card, employment card or driver's license), after which you will receive your order. In addition, if you decide to cancel the delivery, it will be free of charge at the stage of assembling the cart, but at the stage of delivery, you will be charged.
Shopping in Dubai is possible in both indoor shopping malls and open-air markets. Colorful oriental souks offer a variety of products, ranging from souvenirs to gold jewelry.
Bur Dubai Souk is also known as the Textile Souk and The Old Souk. The market offers different fabrics, including cashmere, silk, cotton, velvet and satin. You can also buy clothes, shoes, carpets and souvenirs here. Popular souvenirs include "Aladdin shoes", Burj Khalifa souvenirs and Dubai t-shirts.
Prices in the market are fairly affordable for the middle class and it is customary to haggle. With the right skills, you can bring down the price by at least 30%. But remember, in the process of haggling, it is worthwhile to maintain mutual respect.
Interesting: There is an atelier in Bur Dubai, where you can bring a purchased piece of fabric and order an original outfit in the traditional manner.
Location: 57, Opposite Abra, Ali Bin Abi Taleb Street, Bur Dubai.
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM
Souk Madinat Jumeirah is a well-known market in a traditional Middle Eastern style under wooden arches. The souk houses 75 stores selling interior items, jewelry, spices, perfumes, handmade souvenirs and Arabic lanterns.
Prices for goods are high, as things are sold either branded or handmade, and are almost always one of a kind, e.g not mass-produced. It is possible to buy something inexpensive, for example a small souvenir. But first of all you should go here for vintage clothing, quality accessories, unique fabrics and jewelry. In this popular tourist destination, it is not customary to bargain, therefore, many residents do not call the location a bazaar, but a shopping center.
Location: King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street - Al Sufouh 1
Open: Daily without interruption from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Karama Market is a complex of outlets in the Al Karama area of Dubai. This area cannot be called a ‘market’ in the usual sense of the word. The area is just ordinary streets, along which there are stores. In Al Karama, you can buy good copies of brands like Prada, Burberry, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace, Dior, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors and other world-famous brands. Customers are offered a wide variety of fashion products including bags, accessories, purses, scarves, hats, perfumes, and belts of almost any colour and size. All goods are mostly of Chinese and Turkish production.
Although the market is safe, you should not go alone. Also, the official brand vendors are often visiting too, so don't be afraid to say no. Unlike the Souk Madinat Jumeirah, bargaining is appropriate here, and if you are successful, you can knock the price down anywhere from 20% to 50%.
Location: 18 B Street, Near Fish Market Karama
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (in Fridays from 03:00 PM to 10:00 PM)
Ripe Market is a popular outdoor market in Dubai, which is open only on Fridays and Saturdays. The largest market in the city is located in the Police Academy Park. The brand also owns several stores that are open daily.
Ripe Market is extremely popular with tourists and local shoppers, as the market serves as a platform to support local entrepreneurs, where farmers and farms such as Ripe Organic Farm bring fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products for shoppers. Other items include clothing, handmade woodwork, unique toys and souvenirs.
The Ripe Market also offers educational workshops and seminars, sports training and horseback riding, as well as concerts by various performers. For the youngest guests, there is a petting zoo. During the summer, the market moves to the Times Square Centre.
Location: Dubai Festival City, Times Square Center, Al Manara, Academy Park, Springs Souk.
Open: Fridays and Saturdays.
Many tourists go to Dubai for first-class shopping in order to purchase branded items at a discount in the outlet malls. There are several shopping malls in the city where you can buy good quality clothes at excellent discounts.
The shopping center has a total area of 1.1М sq. ft, of which retail space occupies 753К sq. ft. The Dubai Outlet Mall offers 240 stores with more than 1,200 different brands. Brands include Aldo, Mango, Adidas, Fred Perry, Coach and some luxury brands as well. The site also includes 4,000 parking spaces.
Dubai Outlet Mall offers past collections of popular brands with a significant discount, which varies from 30 to 90%. The stores offer special promotions to attract more customers: every Monday there is a discount of up to 50% on absolutely all products in the mall. Moreover, if you have a special loyalty card “The Outlet Plus Card”, which can be obtained at other retail outlets in Dubai, you can get an additional discount for one day of shopping.
Location: Route 66 - Al Ain - Dubai Road
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Thursdays and Fridays until midnight)
Phone: +971 4 423 4666
BurJuman includes 300 stores, most of which belong to the luxury segment: Escada, Chanel, Cartier, Dior, Burberry, Ferre, Polo Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Ferre. There are also brands offering casual clothing like New Look, Mango, Zara and Esprit. The total area of BurJuman Centre is 796,529 sq. ft. There are a sufficient number of ATMs and currency exchange offices in the building as well as a parking lot which is designed for 3,400 cars.
Location: Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road - Al Mankhool
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM (Thursdays and Fridays until midnight)
Phone: +971 4 352 0222
This popular outlet center offers goods from all major world brands including Carolina Herrera, Nike, Adidas, Galeries Lafayette, Coach, DKNY and many others. Branded bags, shoes and accessories can be purchased with a discount of up to 50%. The shopping center itself is made in the style of a medieval Italian village. The total area of The Outlet Village is 1.5М sq. ft.
Location: Near Dubai Parks and Resorts - Mina Jebel Ali
Open: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 11:00 PM)
Phone: +971 800 738245
