Shopping in Dubai is one of the most favorite entertainment for tourists who have arrived in the UAE. In the largest emirate of the country you can buy everything: from perfumes to technology, but not all products are profitable and reliable to purchase here.
It’s worth going to Dubai for quality cosmetics, exotic fruits and dried fruits, various spices, cheap bags and suitcases, gold jewelry for the price of silver in SND and diamonds. Clothing in the UAE is sold in high quality, but you should not go here for branded items (outlets do not count) – their cost here does not differ from ours. The situation is the same with technology – it’s not worth buying in Dubai during the sales period.
Do not get carried away! When you see discounts on fur coats or cheap coffee by weight, remember the prices for each kilogram of overweight at the airport.
Of course, shopping in one of the richest countries in the world is not a cheap pleasure, but thanks to low taxes on imported products, shopping prices in Dubai are more reasonable than in many European countries. Where to buy quality items in the UAE? What is the difference between outlet or mall and which Dubai shopping malls are really worth visiting? All you wanted to know about local shopping is in this article.
Dubai Mall
In the shopping and entertainment center, whose area is half of Moscow, you can stay for several days. Everything is here:
- The largest gold market – 220 stores;
- Theme park with an area of 7600 m2;
- Fashion Island – 70 high-end branded stores;
- Children’s entertainment center, which occupies 8000 m2;
- Several cinemas;
- Huge aquarium and much more.
You can talk about the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the world for a long time – we did this in a separate article .
Dubai Mall of the Emirates
The second largest shopping center in Dubai covers an area of 600,000 m2. Here you will find boutiques of elite brands – Debenhams, CK, Versace, D&G, as well as more budget H&M, Zara, etc. The Mall of the Emirates has a hypermarket with a huge assortment of fresh products, in addition, you can have a delicious lunch in one of several dozen a cafe.
Advice! Expensive branded items are sold in stores located on the second floor of the shopping center, more affordable brands on the first.
Most of all, the Mall of the Emirates is popular with travelers due to its wide variety of entertainment. So, it houses the first Ski Dubai indoor ski complex in the Middle East, with an area of 3 thousand square meters, where 1.5 thousand people can relax at the same time. Artificial snow covers its tracks for snowboarders, toboggan runs and ski trails all year round, and temperatures of -5 ℃ are maintained throughout Ski Dubai, including ice caves.
The Mall of the Emirates also has a cinema, several amusement parks and an art center. You can play billiards and bowling, ride the rides, visit the quest, play several games of golf or relax in one of the spa salons. There is always a place for a car on one of the floors of a 3-level parking lot.
Note! A huge number of air conditioners work in the shopping center, which can make it cold inside.
You can find out what brands are represented in the Emirates Mall of Dubai, what sales await you during your vacation, as well as the location of all shops and outlets on the official website www.malloftheemirates.com.
- The shopping center is open from 10 to 22 from Sunday to Wednesday and until midnight on other days.
- Mall of the Emirates is located at Sheikh Zayed Road, accessible by metro, bus, car or taxi.
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Ibn Battuta Mall
Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai is not just a shopping center, it is a real attraction of the UAE. It does not differ in huge sizes or low prices, its highlight is the interior design. The most beautiful Mall of the country is named after the traveler Ibn Battut and is divided into 6 zones that he visited: Egypt, China, Persia and others. Each of the regions has its own symbols, represented in the form of fountains, sculptures or paintings – Ibn Battuta Mall you can get to know the culture of the Ancient East.
Of course, people come to this shopping center not only for beauty, but also for shopping – this is one of the few places where quality things are presented at affordable prices. Apart from branded boutiques with the best clothes and shoes, tourists often visit the drains and outlets located on the first floor of the shopping center, where you can buy goods from past seasons at a great discount. In addition, the Ibn Battuta Mall has a Carrefour supermarket, the only Dubai Imax cinema, several spa salons, a bowling and karaoke, an amusement park, children’s playrooms, many restaurants and cafes, a delicious ice cream workshop. Parking at the shopping center is free.
Advice! Tourists are advised to go shopping at Mothercare discount center to anyone with children – the prices here are lower than in domestic stores.
- Ibn Battuta Mall is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday and from 10 to 24 from Thursday to Saturday.
- It is located near the center of Dubai, at Jebel Ali Vilage, the metro stop of the same name passes along the red line of the second zone.
Wafi City Mall
The shopaholic’s dream and the place of work of the best jewelers of the East – Wafi City Mall and its 230 boutiques and outlets annually attract more than 30 million visitors. Here you can buy goods of elite brands like Chanel, Givenchy and Versaci, as well as the mass market: Zara, H&M and Bershka. In addition, the shopping center has 4 entertainment centers for the whole family, where you can have fun on the rides, hone your skills in bowling, billiards or golf, as well as go into space, solving all the mysteries of the X-Space quest. On the ground floor is Carrefour.
Wafi City Mall is entirely decorated in the style of Ancient Egypt, every day at 21:30 there is a light show “The Return of the Pharaoh”, which is very popular with young children.
Note! Wafi City Mall has a covered car park, but you can park your car for free for only two hours.
The working hours in the Wafi City Mall are the same as in other shopping centers in Dubai – you can come here for shopping from Sunday to Wednesday from 10 to 22¸ on other days – until 24.
- See the exact list of boutiques and sales dates on the shopping center website (www.wafi.com).
- The address of the establishment is Oud Metha Road.
Please note: the 12 best Dubai hotels with their own beach according to tourist reviews .
Marina Mall
Dubai Marina Mall is a large shopping and entertainment center located on the city promenade at Sheikh Zayed Road. Among his competitors, he stands out for his calm and quiet atmosphere, the absence of lines and noisy crowds. Dubai Marina Mall has 160 outlets, including several inexpensive outlets, Patrizia Pepe and Miss Sixty boutiques, discounts for sports and casual wear Nike, Adidas and Lacoste, home appliances and electronics stores, and a large Waitrose supermarket. Here you can find many products of local manufacturers. For entertainment, the Dubai Marina Mall offers tourists an ice rink, a cinema, a theme park and many restaurants.
Life hack! Dubai outlets and malls are popular not only among tourists, but also among local residents. To avoid a large crowd and enjoy the lack of lines in stores, visit him in Ramadan.
Dubai Marina Mall is open every day from 10 to 23, on Thursday and Friday – to 24. You can get to the shopping center by metro, exit at the station of the same name, by bus or taxi. A list of brands and the names of cafes in the shopping center can be found here – www.dubaimarinamall.com/.
Late time! Many hotels organize transfers to and from Dubai’s largest malls. If you want to use them or the buses of the shopping centers themselves, do not expect to leave at the latest of them – there is usually not enough space for everyone.
Note: Which of the beaches of Dubai is better to relax – see the overview on this page .
Outlet Village
One of the youngest outlets in Dubai has become a favorite place for shopping among budget travelers. It is here that you can find designer and branded items with discounts up to 90%, buy cheap textiles and home decorations, have fun in an indoor park or relax in one of the cafes. The most popular tourist brands for The Outlet Village are Michael Kros, New Balance, Carolina Herrera, Hugo Boss, and Armani.
Note! The Outlet Village does not feature mass-market products.
The Outlet Village Dubai is a corner of Italy in the East – its architecture is repeated by the images of the town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- You can get to the outlet located at Sheikh Zayed Rd on a free shuttle from major shopping centers or hotels.
- The Outlet Village Dubai is open every day, the work schedule is standard.
- The official website with more information about shopping on the outlet is www.theoutletvillage.ae.
Outlet Mall Dubai
If you want to find branded items at the lowest prices in the UAE, feel free to head to the Dubai Outlet Mall. There are no luxurious cafes or individual boutiques with things from Gucci, but there is a huge selection of quality clothes and shoes left from unsold collections. Unlike The Outlet Village, when shopping at the Dubai Outlet Mall, you won’t be able to buy luxury brands clothing. Instead, the shopping center presents a lot of mass market goods at affordable prices, in addition to which there are profitable offers for the sale of every second or third unit in the check for free.
Traveler Recommendations! Fans of rich aromas should visit the boutique of Arab perfumes on the top floor of the outlet – here you can buy a great perfume with a discount of up to 50%. Also pay attention to the leather shoes and accessories that are sold on the second floor.
- Dubai Outlet Mall is located on the outskirts of the city, the exact address of Dubai Al-Ain Road.
- There are free buses to the outlet, but taxis can also be reached.
- Schedule is standard, the official website is www.dubaioutletmall.com.
Shopping in Dubai is a fascinating, and sometimes very profitable, activity. Spend time on vacation with pleasure and benefit. Big discounts to you!
What the Dubai Mall looks like inside and out – watch the video review.
