Among the many charms of Dubai is shopping. Whether it's haggling over Persian carpets in the centuries-old souks or shopping for French perfumes in the air-conditioned hush of the most modern department store, Dubai offers every shopper a great experience. And as an open port with low import duties, prices are very attractive. Trade is at the heart of Middle-eastern culture, so the variety of products is staggering.
So if you're moving to Dubai to live or just spending a few weeks vacation, shopping will be one of the highlights of your visit. Here's the lowdown on the shopping scene in Dubai which offers literally thousands of shopping outlets across the city. First, let's look at where to go. We'll refer to locations relative to the Dubai Creek, the waterway that splits the city into the two halves of Deira and Bur Dubai.
For sheer comfort, you can't beat Dubai's many fantastic shopping plazas. These multi-storey emporia sell everything from designer fashions to the latest in Eastern technology. They also house restaurants, cafes and movie theaters for the total day out, so finding something to do, and doing it for the whole day, is an easy task in Dubai. Among the most prestigious in Bur Dubai is the centrally-located Bur Juman Center, enormous shopping mall with hundreds prestigious stores adorning the latest in fashion and design, as well as restaurants, textiles and various other attention grabbing shopping outlets.
Leading malls in the Deira district include Al Mulla Plaza, the Intercontinental Plaza, Abu Hail Shopping Centre, The Galleria, and Al Ghurair Centre Bur Dubai features the Wafi Mall and Holiday Centre Plus there are a host of top class department stores and boutiques spread throughout the city.
Not to be missed is the famed and fashionable Emirates mall located at the end of Sheik Ziad Road and which boasts its own indoor ski mountain for those who wish to comfort themselves from the hot summer months after a day of overworking the credit cards. Dubai's modern malls not only offer the most convenient and comfortable way to shop, but they also offer the latest the design world has to offer.
Souks
However, to uncover the exotic past of this futuristic city, and to savor the sights and smells of the authentic Arab world, you need to head to one of Dubai's souks. These are the traditional markets of Dubai and you'll find them on both sides of the creek.
Souks are usually organized into areas selling similar items and are often named after a product. Thus the Gold Souk is the place to pick up gold ornaments. Here you can browse earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants in a stunning variety of designs. A specialty of the local gold craftsmen is creating items in shades of pink, white, yellow or green by varying the alloys.
The nearby Spice Souk is filled with baskets piled with cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, incense, dried fruit and nuts. Browsing here is an aromatic adventure which you can continue in the Perfume Souk. And there's even a Fish Souk to sell the morning's catch of fish from the Arabian Sea.
If you're looking for authentic local souvenirs you have many choices. You can't go wrong with Arabic coffee pots or sheeshas to remind you of the aromatic local brew. Then there are silver and brass sword and daggers, prayer beads, frankincense, Arabian perfumes, rugs and Persian carpets. Pearls, handwork, leather items and various other authentic and rustic items.
Bargaining at Souks
Bargaining is a traditional part of shopping in Dubai, but please not that modern outlets have fixed prices, so save the embarrassment of trying to haggle a hundred dirhams off that new Armani Jacket at Emirates Mall. Bargaining is for family businesses and markets, negotiation is a key component of the buying process. One good tip is to check out prices at the fixed-priced outlets before heading to the souks. This will give you an idea of a fair price before you start haggling.
Of course, if you've exhausted your options, and your feet, you can always take a rest in front of the computer, get online and do some online shopping at Dubai's first choice for classifieds by searching on zoozi.com for used furniture, cars, property and more. You can find great deals on great items that need to be moved quickly by the outbound expat. You can find ZOOZi by following the link to http://www.zoozi.com
The important thing about shopping in Dubai is to enjoy yourself. There are bargains to be found and you can acquire rare and exotic items that will grace your life for many years to come.
Some notable Shopping addresses and operating hours:
Mall Hours: Sat-Thurs - 10am-10pm and Fri - 2pm-10pm
Burjuman Mall
Bur Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tel: 3520222
Fax: 3510824
Email: info@burjuman.com
Website: http://www.burjuman.com
Mall Hours: Sat-Thurs - 10am-10pm, Fri - 2pm-10pm
Driving Licence In Dubai
As a burgeoning economy, Dubai real estate is a lucrative field of investment that is drawing huge attention from foreign and overseas investors. Given the factors of being oil rich nation that has a stable and political and economic background, Dubai has become the prime location for residential and commercial real estate investments. For all those who seek Gulf jobs or wish to establish their business in Dubai, there are numerous reasons for the popularity of gulf countries such as Dubai as:
Suitable real climatic conditions, favorable exchange rate, cosmopolitan lifestyle, quality education and job facilities, excellent heath care facilities and numerous other city facilities that make Dubai one of the best places to live in UAE.
The cosmopolitan nature of Dubai makes it a favorable place and with the arrival of globalization, Dubai has undergone a sea change in terms and cultures and conventions and has become a cosmopolitan city that welcomes every visitor with open arms. This makes Dubai an ideal place to relocate.
Over the past few years, some of the popular real estate projects in Dubai include:
?Jumeriah Beach Residence
?The Walk
?Business Bay
?Vision Tower
?The Villa
?The Executive Tower
?Bay Avenue
?Gold Souk
?Town Centre Jumeriah
?Mall of Emirates
?Burjuman Centre
?Ibn Battuta Mall
?Wafi Mall
?Deira City Centre
?Emirates Tower Boulevard
Given the huge investment opportunities and the free zones along with favorable taxation policies, Dubai has become a suitable investment opportunity for all those who seek to invest in Dubai real estate business. There are various MNC that are ready to invest multi million dollars in Dubai and this has led to various job opportunities in Dubai. Some of the lucrative investment opportunities in Dubai include residential, commercial, leisure, retail, apartments, condos, villas, offices, hotels and shops. Dubai is also the hub of business and tourism and the heartland of Middle East, Dubai is rightly known as the land of investments. With the arrival of Foreign Investment Law, UAE by the Ministry of Economy, foreign direct investment will become easy and allow better flow of foreign capital as there will be only ?one stop? reference point for investors that will regulate all investments. Indeed, Dubai has become an international. The tax free policies, high currency rate, low price of real estate investments has been the primary reason behind the direct foreign investment in Dubai. Apart from it, Dubai economy has transformed into a modern metropolis that is riding on the wave of technology, manufacturing, service and trade. Some of the well known facilities in Dubai that attract large number of investors and workers include factors such as tax free ports, no income and sales tax and affordable accommodation in comparison to other regions.
So, for all those who wish to invest in Dubai real estate business, it is a booming market that has huge prospects and in the coming years. Due to the arrival of foreign players as MNC and other large business houses, Dubai is thriving with huge investment prospects. For Dubai real estates, www.properties-mart.com is a dedicated real estate portal that offers both commercial and residential Dubai real estate solutions.
Both Robert D. Thomson & Abdul Sami are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Robert D. Thomson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dog Care, Real Estate and Dental Practice. Zarene Claire writes articles about Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. You can find other useful information on
