Shopping Souks & Malls in Dubai

Dubai is teeming with shopping malls and souks, each one revealing a different theme and experience. The sprawling expanse of the malls, the innovative architecture, the designer boutiques, top brands, vast product range from haute couture to the latest gadgets and gizmos and an endless choice of restaurants and cafes allow visitors the option of passing an entire day within the premises of a single shopping complex. Some of the leading shopping malls in Dubai are as follows: Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Deira City Centre, Burjuman Centre, Ibn Battuta Mall, Lamcy Plaza, Mercato Mall, Wafi Shopping Mall.

Dubai Mall

Located in the heart the prestigious Downtown Dubai, described as ‘The Centre of Now,’ is The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination and the world’s most-visited shopping and leisure destination, which welcomed more than 65 million visitors in 2012 and over 38 million visitors in the first six months of 2013. With a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft, The Dubai Mall has 3.77 million sq ft of gross leasable space and over 1,200 retail outlets including two anchor department stores - Galeries Lafayette and Bloomingdale’s - and over 200 food and beverage outlets. The Dubai Mall offers an unparalleled retail mix combined with world-class dining, entertainment and leisure attractions. The Dubai Mall features the world-class Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo featuring over thousands of aquatic animals and a 270-degree walkthrough tunnel. The strong family entertainment components include KidZania®, an innovative children’s ‘edutainment’ concept; SEGA Republic, a 76,000 sq ft high adrenaline indoor theme park; the 22-screen Reel Cinemas megaplex with a total capacity of 2,800 seats; and the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink. For visitors, there is an adjoining 5-star premium hotel, The Address Dubai Mall and car parking for over 14,000 vehicles.

Mall of the Emirates

Mall of the Emirates, Opened in September 2005 and is the world’s first shopping resort. It was developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties and is located in Dubai at interchange four on Sheikh Zayed Road. The multi-level shopping centre currently features more than 560 international brands with a total gross leasable area (GLA) of 234,479 sqm including department stores, fashion, lifestyle, sports, electronics and home furnishing outlets and the largest Carrefour in the city. The compelling family leisure offer includes a Magic Planet family entertainment area, a 14-screen VOX Cinemas, the world-renowned Ski Dubai - the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort and snow park, the 500-seat capacity Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC) and more than 90 international dining and café options. The Mall has parking for 7,000 vehicles and welcomes over 30 million visitors annually.

The Dubai shopping experience is not complete without a visit to its famous Souks – traditional Middle Eastern markets where just about anything can be bought. Offering a complete contrast to modern shopping centres these markets are just full of people looking for a bargain. Some of the famous souks in Dubai are as follows: the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk, the Textile Souk, the Fish Market, the Satwa Souk and the Bastakiya Souk.

Dubai Gold Souk

Unlike anything you have seen in the world, Dubai’s Gold Souk is a market that showcases seemingly endless amounts of gold jewelry. With over 300 jewelers on site to accommodate all your gold related needs, the streets during the day are swarming with visitors from all around the world enjoying the spectacle of wall-to-wall gold, and course, the souk’s phenomenal prices. Whether you are looking to buy or just peruse, the Dubai Souk is certainly worth your visit. With an average of 10 tons of gold available on the premises at any given time, you are sure to be impressed with the glimmering displays, with gold makes in virtually any style you could imagine—and even available in an array of colors including white, yellow and pink. 
If you are feeling so inclined to make a purchase at the Souk, make sure you haggle. It is entirely expected that you negotiate the price for any wanted goods, and if one doesn’t sound good to you, don’t be afraid to keep exploring.

Dubai Spice Souk

Dubai may have the world’s largest shopping mall, but for many visitors, the best shopping is found in the city’s traditional souks, or markets. Each of these historic markets specializes in one product or category of products, and one of Dubai’s most famous (and most pungent) souks is the Spice Souk. Located in the eastern part of Dubai next to the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk includes a small area of narrow lanes lined by small shops selling almost any spice you can imagine. Huge bags and bins of colorful and fragrant spices - everything from frankincense and saffron to dried chillies -- overflow into the streets. You’ll also find shops selling incense and shisha, a type of tobacco smoked in a water pipe. If you come to buy spices, be prepared to haggle; knowing your basic numbers in Arabic will help. Even if you’re not in the market for spices, a trip to the Spice Souk is worth an hour of your time just to soak up the atmosphere of one of the few remaining places where you can catch a glimpse of a more traditional Dubai.