Must-see shopping in United Arab Emirates

  • The Dubai Mall At Night, Dubai UAE

    Dubai Mall

    Downtown Dubai

    With around 1300 shops, this isn't merely the world's largest shopping mall – it’s a small city, with a giant ice rink and aquarium, a dinosaur skeleton,…

  • Mirzam Chocolate Makers

    Downtown Dubai

    The art of crafting fine chocolate is taken very seriously at this high-tech 'Willy Wonka' factory, where all stages from roasting to handwrapping take…

  • Wafi Gourmet

    Marina Breakwater

    Offering beautiful Medjool dates stuffed with pistachios, cashews, almonds or oranges; gorgeous marzipan, baklava and other Middle Eastern sweets; take…

  • Souk Madinat Jumeirah

    Dubai

    More tourist-geared boutique mall than traditional Arab market, this handsomely designed souq is part of the Arab-village-style Madinat Jumeirah resort…

  • Yas Mall

    Yas Island

    Bright, spacious and hosting 370 shops, Yas Mall is the star of Abu Dhabi's shopping scene. Look out for the growing plant wall and the two 12m-high tree…

  • Souq Al Jubail

    Sharjah

    Herb-infused honey, dates, nuts and dried figs make for great foodie gifts and treats, while the long lines of stalls piled high with fruit and vegetables…

  • Dubai Festival City Mall

    Dubai

    Southeast of the airport, near Business Bay Bridge, this 350-store behemoth has all the standard shops, plus Ikea – a draw for locals and expats. Its main…

  • Beautiful Henna Centre

    Al Bateen & Al Mushrif

    Henna application (on hands and feet) is a traditional ritual of local bridal preparation, though these days it's not limited to weddings and is…

  • FBMI

    Yas Island

    The beautiful handmade carpets on sale here are the backbone of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed's NGO, which aims to support and enhance the…

  • Threads & Tailors

    Dubai

    This top-notch tailor has made bespoke suits for distinguished clients such as Roger Federer and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, along with men's and women…

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    City Walk

    Dubai

    This city-centre shopping, dining and entertainment district has the feel of a European town centre with its faux Georgian-style buildings, water features…

  • Souk Qaryat Al Beri

    Sheikh Zayed Mosque Area

    This small mall's 21st-century take on the classic souq gets a thumbs-up for its appealing Middle Eastern architecture and waterfront location. The shops…

  • Ripe Market

    Dubai

    This market features not only fruit and veg from local growers but also local honey, nuts, spices and eggs, plus arts and crafts, food stations and…

  • S*uce

    Dubai

    Plain and simple they are not, the clothes and accessories at S*uce (pronounced ‘sauce’), a pioneer in Dubai’s growing lifestyle-fashion scene. Join…

  • Mall of the Emirates

    Dubai

    Home to Ski Dubai, a community theatre, a 24-screen multiplex cinema and – let's not forget – 630 shops, Mall of the Emirates is one of Dubai's most…

  • Deira City Centre

    Deira

    Though other malls are bigger and flashier, Deira City Centre remains a stalwart for its logical layout and wide selection of shops, from big-name chains…

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    Outlet Village

    Dubai

    Label-lovers on a budget flock to this indoor outlet mall whose architecture was inspired by a Tuscan hillside village. Midrange to fancy brands from…

  • BoxPark

    Dubai

    Inspired by the London original, this 1.3km-long outdoor lifestyle mall was built from upcycled shipping containers and has injected a welcome dose of…

  • New Fish Market

    Deira

    In sparkling new-ish digs on the waterfront behind Dubai Hospital, Deira's fish market (part of the Waterfront Market development) may have lost some of…

  • Camel Company

    Dubai

    Hands-down the best spot for kid-friendly camel souvenirs: stuffed camels in all sizes and colours, camels on T-shirts, coffee cups, notebooks, greeting…

  • Kinokuniya

    Downtown Dubai

    This massive shop is El Dorado for bookworms. Shelves are stocked with a mind-boggling half-a-million tomes plus 1000 or so magazines in English, Arabic,…

  • Carrefour

    Marina Breakwater

    Carrefour has the best bakery and deli counter in Abu Dhabi, with barrels of delicious olives and local cheeses, good-quality fruit and vegetables, and a…

  • Fruit & Vegetable Market

    Abu Dhabi

    This vast wholesale market, partly open-air, is the exchange point for melons from Jordan, potatoes from Turkey and onions from just about everywhere. A…

  • World Trade Center Souk

    Abu Dhabi

    British architect Norman Foster's immensely pleasant reinterpretation of the traditional souq is a stylish composition of warm lattice woodwork, stained…

  • Abu Dhabi Mall

    Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island

    Al Zahiyah's major shopping destination with plenty of international brand-names among its 200 shops, a cinema and kid's entertainment area, cafes and a…

  • Marina Mall

    Marina Breakwater

    In addition to more than 400 stores, this popular mall has plenty of entertainment options, including a multiplex cinema, Bounce, an indoor free-jumping…

  • Souq Al Shanisiyah

    Sharjah

    This new souq, shaded by areesh (palm fronds used to construct huts and houses) panels, is built over the site of an earlier souq discovered during…

  • Central Souq

    Sharjah

    If you're in the market for glitzy gold jewellery studded with semi-precious stones, then this grand, tile-embellished market building, dating from 1978,…

  • Al Wahda Mall

    Al Bateen & Al Mushrif

    A favourite family hangout on Thursday evenings; there's over 350 outlets in this mall. Most are international brands but there are a few more local…

  • Galleria Mall

    Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island

    Shopping for those with deep pockets: this flashy mall with its cathedral-high ceilings and sculptural roof is all about international couture brands …

  • Carpet Souq

    Abu Dhabi

    The garrulous traders from Balochistan, Pakistan, here are good fun, though don't expect to encounter piles of beautiful jewel-toned hand-loomed carpets…

  • Ajmal

    Bur Dubai

    The place for traditional Middle Eastern attars (perfumes), Ajmal custom blends its earthy scents and pours them into fancy gold or jewel-encrusted…

  • BurJuman

    Bur Dubai

    Rather than rest on its laurels, Dubai's oldest high-end mall (open since 1992) just keeps reinventing itself. A recent remodel added some 200 shops …

  • Khalifa Centre

    Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island

    For a wide range of souvenirs (shisha pipes, camel-bone boxes, stuffed leather camels, carpets and cushion covers), head to the Khalifa Centre, across the…

  • Farmers Market on the Terrace

    Downtown Dubai

    The carrots may have roots attached and dirt might stick to the fennel bulb, because both were still in the ground the previous day. Now they're vying for…

  • Ibn Battuta Mall

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    The shopping is good if nothing extraordinary, but it's the lavish and exotic design and architecture of this 400-shop mall that steal the show, tracing…

  • Madinat Zayed Shopping & Gold Centre

    Abu Dhabi

    For first-time visitors to a gold souq, the window displays of bridal necklaces, earrings and belts, the trays of precious stones and the tiers of gold…

  • Iranian Souq

    Abu Dhabi

    If you've never been to a regional wholesale hardware market before, then this collection of stalls huddled around the harbour edge is a fun destination…

  • Meena Bazaar

    Bur Dubai

    Arguably the oldest shopping district in Dubai, the Meena Bazaar comprises a labyrinth of streets surrounding the Bur Dubai Souq that are packed with…

  • Ritu Kumar

    Bur Dubai

    Now in her 70s, Ritu Kumar is an Indian fashion designer famed for her stunning colourful prints and fabrics. As well as traditional lehengas (ankle…

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