Bur Dubai
Despite its visually unappealing concrete exterior, Karama’s bustling backstreet shopping area is a great place for bargains and crammed with shops…
Must-see shopping in Middle East
Beirut
With produce and plants that befit a lush Mediterranean paradise, Lebanon has some pretty happy bees, and this beautiful shop is where to go to taste the…
United Arab Emirates
Despite the name, this strip of nearly identical stalls is actually a daily affair, though it's at its bustling best on its namesake day. Rugs, pottery,…
Tel Aviv
Israel’s first mall, the Dizengoff Centre is filled with cafes, fast-food joints and major retail chains like Zara, Mango and Adidas. The most walkable…
Jerusalem
Dedicated antiques-lovers are often disappointed by their rummaging in the Old City until they reach Alan Baidun's store. All antiques – from Egyptian…
Southeastern Iran
A sweet little courtyard house hidden down a small Old Town alley is being converted into a small handicrafts centre. Some workshops are already operative…
Kuwait
On the water's edge, this medium-sized mall has a range of international high street fashion brands including Footlocker, Gap and H&M, plus dozens of…
Muscat
Arguably Muscat's most popular mall, the Avenues comes with 150 shops, cinema, and large food court open until 1am at weekends. There's a children's…
Manama
This modern two-storey building is an extension of the historic Gold Souq founded by the Indian immigrants who effectively run Bahrain's gold trade. Have…
Oman
For a pair of handcrafted leather sandals, look no further than the cobbler opposite the souq. Sitting cross-legged and still producing shoes with a knife…
Riyadh
When it first opened, the Sky Shopping Mall was the designer mall outlet, home to the likes of Harvey Nichols. But in a country where building shopping…
Tel Aviv
Planters filled with jasmine adorn the front of this chic perfumerie, which has the ambience of an old-fashioned apothecary. Bottles of perfume, room…
Dubai
With 140 stores, Mercato may be small by Dubai standards, but it's distinguished by attractive architecture that looks like a fantasy blend of a classic…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
If you love art but can't afford an original, pick up a highly decorative print by well-known Middle Eastern artists without breaking the bank at this…
Oman
This enormous souq is flooded with vegetable and grain sellers for half the day and virtually abandoned for the rest. One or two shops stay the course,…
Madaba
Be warned: it's notoriously difficult to leave a carpet shop in Jordan empty-handed. This is partly due to the skill of the salesmen and partly because…
Mashhad
This four-floor building contains around 30 carpet shops aimed at bulk dealers, so prices can be very competitive and there's not much sales pressure. The…
Oman
This landmark Omani mall – no city in Oman is worth its salt without one – was built by Emirati investor Majid Al Futaime. The brand-new complex with…
Deira
Dubai's oldest shopping mall opened in 1980 and is a lot less flashy than its newer cousins, despite an expansion that doubled its number of shops to 390…
Bur Dubai
This tiny shop tucked into the quiet lanes of Al Fahidi Historic District is a photogenic find. It's crammed full of spices like cloves, cardamom and…
Dubai
It's a mall, so don't go out of your way to get here, but if you happen to be in the area, it's not a bad place for a browse. Kids love the massive Magic…
Tel Aviv
This shopping mall is home to the usual stores such as Zara, Mango and H&M, but the building itself has become something of a Tel Aviv icon. The Azrieli…
Merchants of Pottery & Handicrafts
Khasab
The title of the shop, located in front of Lulu Hypermarket, pretty much tells it how it is. Axes and camel sticks are available here, together with…
Downtown Dubai
Millionaires to wallet-watchers shop at Daiso, Japan's equivalent of the '99 cents' or 'One Euro' store and nirvana for fans of fun, kitsch and cute…
Dubai
Enjoy a sip of rose water upon entering this quirky concept boutique run by a trio of free-spirited cousins from Beirut. They share a passion for unusual…
Muscat
A surprisingly comprehensive little traditional souq located inside the Sabco Centre sells crafts (mostly from India and Iran), pashmina shawls and Omani…
Mashhad
The 800m-long Reza covered bazaar is designed to look semitraditional but is a 20th-century creation. Shops within sell a wide variety of products and…
Downtown Dubai
An air-conditioned, less-atmospheric alternative to the Deira Gold Souq, this buttoned-up business mall houses some 90 purveyors of bling. No bargaining…
Bur Dubai
One advantage of this mall is that you are unlikely to get lost! With only 75 outlets, this mall, which opened in 2016, is small by Dubai standards and…
Nizwa
This smart new mall is located in the growing suburbs of Nizwa and, with its cafes and food court, ice rink, bowling alley and children's play zone (Fun…
Tel Aviv
Israel's largest camping and travel equipment shop carries a full range of Lonely Planet guides and is a prime source of information for backpackers. It's…
United Arab Emirates
If you need to stock up on snacks and picnic goods on your way out to the desert, the supermarket here is your best bet. There's also a food court and a…
Kuwait City
One of the largest malls in Salmiya, Marina Mall is connected to the waterfront by a footbridge over Arabian Gulf St. Most of the shops are in the main…
Deira
If you've spent all your money on Jimmy Choo shoes and bling at the Gold Souq and need a new in-flight bag, this cut-price place has a great range. It…
Dubai
Behind a coated glass facade designed to reflect the heat sits this two-level mall that's popular with fashion-forward locals shopping for luxury abayas …
Marina Breakwater
This small mall dedicated to the more extravagant end of the shopping market (the Lamborghini dealer is here) is worth a quick look if you're into…
Dubai
Wallet-watching luxury lovers regularly pop by this stylish consignment boutique whose 'pre-loved' designer labels and accessories are in tip-top…
Tehran
Women travellers needing a cheap and not particularly stylish manteau (overcoat) or scarf have plenty of options at this pedestrian mall running between…
Mashhad
In a banal, four-storey building, Bazaar-e Farsh is a multi-unit carpet market. It's generally patronized by bulk dealers, so prices can be excellent (and…
Kashan
Run by an elderly gentleman knowledgeable in the arts of Kashani rose-water production, this shop in the middle of the bazaar stocks a range of rose-water…
