Dubai The City of Gold
From its 18th century origins as a fishing and pearling village and an important regional trading hub on sea faring routes, it is no surprise that modern day Dubai has earned itself the name of ‘The City of Gold’. Being one of the world’s busiest open ports and with very low customs duties levied on imported goods, and the added bonus of tax-free shopping, this means that Dubai is excellent value for money when shopping for almost any item – be it electronics, jewellery, household items, automobiles, clothing, perfumes or cosmetics.
Shoppers will find many brand names at prices far lower than in their countries of origin and Dubai’s modern, air conditioned malls are far more than just home to haute couture boutiques and favorite high street names - they are entertainment and leisure complexes in their own right, with multi-screen cinemas, food courts and children’s entertainment zones. Traditional local souks (markets) are fascinating places to discover, with many local treasures hidden away amongst narrow winding streets and eye-catching architecture.
Shopping Malls
Burjuman
Located in the heart of Dubai, the BurJuman Centre consists of more than three hundred thousand square feet of retail space. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, BurJuman has recently undergone significant expansion - the modern new extension and original mall house such esteemed brands as Burberry, Boss, Bruno Magli, Christian Lacroix, Dolce & Gabanna, DKNY, Donna Karan, Emanuelle Ungaro, Fendi, Guess, Hermes, Kenneth Cole, Kenzo, La Perla, Louis Vuitton, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Saks Fifth Avenue, Salvatore Ferragamo, Trussadi and Valentino, in addition to many cafes, coffee shops and Soho’s Yo ! Sushi.
Deira City Centre
Deira City Centre is one of Dubai’s most established and popular leisure and entertainment complexes. With over 300 shops, its flagship stores include retail giants; French hypermarket Carrefour and Sweden’s IKEA, high street perennials such as Debenhams, River Island, Oasis, Monsoon and Woolworths. The mall is zoned into dedicated areas such as the ‘Jewellery Court’ featuring beautifully crafted precious jewellery items, to ‘Arabian Treasures’ offering traditional Arabian artifacts, antiques, gift items, carpets and home furnishings. The ‘Textile Court’ has fabrics from every corner of the globe, whilst ‘Magic Planet’ is a world of adventure, escapism and education for the little ones. Deira City Centre also houses an 11 screen cinema complex, showing the latest in blockbuster releases.
Dubai Duty Free
Dubai Duty Free is one of the top airport retailers in the world. The state-of-the-art shopping complex at Sheikh Rashid Terminal, within Dubai International Airport houses 35,000 products from gold, jewellery and watches to electronic goods, perfumes and cosmetics and is a convenient place to pick up last minute gifts and presents before jetting off. Dubai Duty Free also operates an inbound Duty Free concession at Dubai International Airport Arrivals.
Emirates Towers
The iconic twin skyscrapers of the Emirates Towers complex are a landmark on Dubai’s prestigious Sheikh Zayed Road. The Emirates Towers Shopping Boulevard, located in the basement and ground floor of the office complex, houses a wealth of designer boutiques – Bottega Veneta, Emporio Armani, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Villa Moda and Yves Saint Laurent neighbor fashionably chic restaurants – providing the perfect spot for an invigorating cappuccino (and a respite for those weary feet !) in between splurges of retail therapy.
Mercato
Mercato is uniquely themed destination mall located in the popular residential district of Jumeirah. Named ‘market’ in Italian, the mall bears distinctive Renaissance style architecture, melding Italian, French and Spanish flavours and architectural influences into one. Mercato has a 12 screen cinema complex and is home to over 90 stores and outlets, including Diesel, Gianfranco Ferre, MAC, Mango, Milano, Next, Pull & Bear and Virgin Megastore, all of which are nestled amidst its intimate walkways.
Wafi City
With its architecture inspired by the ancient Egyptians, and regarded as one of the most opulent and elegant shopping complexes in Dubai, Wafi City houses over 200 stores under its distinctive pyramid shaped atriums. Allied Tanagra, Cerrutti, Chanel, Jashanmal, Kookai, Miss Sixty, Marks & Spencer, Petals, Salam Stores and The ONE are all to be found here, alongside a wide range of cafes and restaurants and one of Dubai’s best Spa and fitness facilities, making Wafi City a complete holistic destination.
Mall of Emirates
Mall of the Emirates opened in September 2005 at interchange 4 on Sheikh Zayed Road. It is one of the largest shopping malls in the world with the first indoor ski resort in the region that will offer an authentic snow mountain environment and a myriad of leisure and sports activities. The three level mall is planned around themed precincts, reflecting the cultural heritage of the region and forming streets, plazas and town squares. British retailer Harvey Nichols is leasing over 12,000 square meters of prime retail space for its multi-level store, which will be home to hundreds of the world’s best brands for clothing, shoes, accessories, skincare products and cosmetics. Household names such as Debenhams, Next, River Island, Laura Ashley, Milano, MAC, Top Shop, Claires, Dorothy Perkins, The Bear Factory and Mothercare are also opened in the mall. Kempinski Hotels and Resorts have been awarded the prestigious management contract for the truly unique hotel ‘Kempinski Resort Mall of the Emirates’.
Ibn Battuta Mall
The Ibn Battuta Mall concept has been based on the travels of the famous 18th century explorer Ibn Battuta. The mall will exhibit six country themed shopping zones to reflect Battuta’s travels through Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China. Located between interchanges 5 and 6 on Sheikh Zayed Road, the mall’s location was chosen after thorough feasibility research into the viability of the area was conducted.
Shopping Districts
Dubai has some distinct shopping districts, far away from the hustle and bustle of the malls. Karama and Satwa are bargain finders paradises, with every conceivable household accessory and knick knack available – at incredibly reasonable prices. The district of Bur Dubai is monikered ‘Computer Souk’ where you can get every conceivable item of computer hardware, peripheral and software at incredibly reasonable prices. Deira is often deemed ‘The old part of town’ and quite rightly so, considering its history and heritage. Here the Gold and Spice Souks take you back to the days of Arabia past - enlightening your visual and olfactory senses, as you view row upon row of gold rings, bracelets, necklaces and ornaments and the unmistakable aromas of coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, frankincense and myrrh waft under your nose.
Developments
Dubai Mall at Burj Dubai Downtown
Mega-mall retailing will be revolutionised with twelve million square feet of retail space at Dubai Mall, which will be the largest mall in the world. Dubai Mall will be the heroic counterpart to Burj Dubai – the world's tallest tower and will occupy a space larger than 50 international soccer pitches. Dubai Mall is expected to attract over 35 million visitors in the first year of operations. Every imaginable store will greet shoppers from high end retail stores and boutiques to daily necessities. Whilst the shopping will be without equal, restaurants and movie theatres will make Dubai Mall an entertainment destination that has something for everyone.
