Mecca for Shopaholics
Every year the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosts the Dubai Shopping Festival, where discerning shoppers can find reductions of up to 75 per cent on designer clothes, jewellery, electrical goods and carpets. This year’s festival runs 28 January to 28 February, right in the middle of high season when millions of visitors are expected, so book a hotel well in advance to avoid any hassles.
MALLRATS
You’ll need to be well-rested before you embark on a shopping holiday in Dubai if you’re going to spend your days trawling through the 400-plus shops housed in mega-malls such as The Mall of the Emirates and The Dubai Mall. Each features both high-end and high street labels and they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the emirate’s shopping centres. Despite the taxi-to-everywhere culture, opt for comfortable shoes if you plan to bargain hunt from dusk until dawn. Expect to pay AED 1,200 (RMB 2,230) for a pair of Jimmy Choos and AED 50 (RMB 93) for a manicure.
SOUK IT UP
The most atmospheric shopping is to be found in the souks. ‘Souk’ is an Arabic word for a place where any kind of goods can be sold or exchanged. The most famous souk is the Gold Souk at Sikkat al Khali Street in Deira. This is also Dubai's most famous market for jewellery and gold in all sorts of colours and styles at marked-down prices. Its narrow streets are lined with shop windows sparkling with bracelets, necklaces and earrings in 18-, 21-, and 22-carat gold, sold according to weight.
"As you get close, the fragrances and aroma of spices and seasonings are overwhelming. Cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, incense, dried fruit and nuts imported from all over the Middle East are sold straight out of large open sacks."
The prices are so good because there’s no tax on gold in the UAE. If you have a design in mind, stop here first thing on your trip to have it made and ready by the time you fly home. The cost will be worked out based on the price of the gold, plus the cost of workmanship based on the intricacy of the design.
Remember that bargaining is part of the buzz and if you are paying cash, you can bargain down to the last dirham, but feel free to walk away to check somewhere else before coming back for the best price you have haggled to – it’s all part of the game.
Next door to the Gold Souk is the Spice Souk for a selection of fresh Arabic spices – perfect for cooking up some Middle Eastern dishes when you get home. As you get close, the fragrances and aroma of spices and seasonings are overwhelming. Cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, incense, dried fruit and nuts imported from all over the Middle East are sold straight out of large open sacks.
Also next door to the Gold Souk is the Perfume Souk – the scent of the orient plays an important part in Arab traditions. Traditionally, personal perfumes based on natural essential oils were a luxury stored in ornamental bottles. Here you can visit a perfumer to try out the different smells or have them advise you on which oils are most suitable for your skin and lifestyle.
