The shopping capital of the Middle East

Dubai is rightly known as the "shopping capital of the Middle East" since there's no better place in the region to find products at unbeatable prices. Dubai's numerous shopping malls cater to every consumer need. Haute couture clothing, jewellery, electronics, furnishings, sporting equipment, and many other goods will likely all be under the same roof. Retail prices are very reasonable thanks to low import duties and affluent locals. The variety of products available is virtually unrivalled and - free of tax - top brand products are cheaper in Dubai than in their countries of origin.

The Souks

Souks, or traditional street markets, have been called "the heart of urban Arabia", and Dubai has a good selection of them. Each Souk has merchants who specialise in the same products and the traditional style of doing business by enthusiastic and sometimes melodramatic haggling over endless cups of sweet tea or Turkish coffee is common. One rule prevails – if you do finally agree a price with a merchant you are morally obliged to buy the item from him at your price. Just walking away is considered bad manners.

The Dubai Souks range from the traditional, dusty alleyways of the Spice Souk, a stone's throw from the Creek, to the most famous market of all - the Gold Souk.

Gold Souk
The sheer scale, ostentation and variety of gold on offer will impress even the most seasoned traveller. Prices are largely determined by weight and the current Dubai gold price rather than by design and craftsmanship. This souk is worth a visit even if you have no intention of buying, just to experience the atmosphere of confident affluence of Dubai. 

Spice Souk
Adjacent to the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk is redolent with Arabic fragrances and seasonings as well as aromas from cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, incense, dried fruit and nuts imported from all over the Middle East. Produce is sold straight out of large open sacks and friendly shopkeepers are never too busy to introduce their wares to visitors or to give small sample to taste or smell.

Perfume Souk
At the Perfume Souk you can literally find thousands of aromas, and even if you can't find the one that you want, shopkeepers are happy to mix up a unique concoction that suits your tastes exactly. Arabic perfumes (or attar) are very strong and spicy, unlike western perfumes, which tend to be flowery and light and only a little needs to be used. Shopkeepers are always happy to put little drops of samples on your palm.

Dubai Shopping: What to Buy

Carpets, Kilims and Rugs
Dubai is also one of the best places outside Iran to buy genuine Persian carpets. A wide variety of carpets are available year round and the quality is judged by the type of dyes used, the number of knots, the size as well as the family name of the makers of the carpet. Silk carpets are considered more valuable than the rest.

Carpets from Iran are generally more expensive than those from Kashmir and Turkey. Another point of differentiation is that carpets on which natural dyes were used are more desirable, hence more expensive, compared to the ones on which artificial dyes were used.

Apart from Persian carpets lovely Turkish kilims, Turkoman, Kashmiri and Afghan rugs are available and make excellent souvenirs. Buyers will be given a Certificate of Authentication guaranteed by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which ensures that your carpet, kilim or rug is actually as described to you by the seller. Despite this guarantee of origin bargaining is still obligatory so start at 40% of the merchant’s first offer and work up from there.

Arabian Souvenirs
Since Dubai is the tourist destination for the whole Gulf region there is a huge range of Arabian souvenirs. Typical souvenirs include copper coffeepots, metal food platters, carved wooden or leather stuffed camels, woolen camel bags and sheesha or glass water ( “ hubble bubble” ) pipes. Not all are locally made, however.