Deira Gold Souq

All that glitters is gold (and occasionally silver) at this colourful market. At any given time over 25 tonnes of gold is on display in jewellery shop windows in Dubai. Even if you’re not in the market for bling, a stroll through the covered arcades of the enormous Gold Souq is a must. Hundreds of stores overflow with every kind of jewellery imaginable – tasteful diamond earrings to over-the-top golden Indian wedding necklaces. It’s the largest gold market in the region, and one of the largest in the world. Bonus: the people-watching. Settle down on a wooden bench beneath the wooden-latticed arcades of the main thoroughfare (Sikkat al-Khail St) and observe touts hawking knock-off watches, hard-working Afghan guys dragging heavy carts of goods and African women in colourful kaftans…it’s all rather extraordinary.