Shopping Malls
Visiting the malls is the shopping experience of choice for most visitors to Dubai, even though most of the real bargains are actually found in the city’s souks. Most are enormous, with hundreds of shops stocking international brands and speciality shops. All have food courts and restaurants, ATM’s etc. and are open to 10 pm or later. With bracing air conditioning they provide a welcome break from the intense heat.
New Malls
Dubai's shopping malls currently offer around 14 million square feet of shopping space. This is set to more than double over the next few years with the opening of several new malls.
| Name | Opening |
|---|---|
| Dubai Mall | 2008 |
| Dubai Pearl Mall | TBC |
| Khan Murjan | 2008 |
| Mall of Arabia | 2008 |
| Mirdif City Centre | 2009 |
| Walk, The | TBC |
Reader Comments / Additional Information
If you're into plus size visit Debenhams. They stock great items from Essence, Evans, seven, Liz Claiborne, Jasper Conran, Maine, etc. Shopping is really a habit for me when I'm in Debenhams, especially during Dubai Shopping Festival when you get up to 70% off designers brands.
The Dubai Municipality have announced that smoking restrictions will come into effect on May 31, World No Tobacco Day. Under Phase 1, commencing May 31 2007, smoking will be banned in government buildings, while phase 2, beginning on September 16 will see smoking banned in schools, hair salons, offices, health clubs and internet cafes. Shopping malls will be required to have designated smoking areas. Under phase 3, starting November 15, smoking restrictions will be introduced in restaurants and cinemas.
If you want cheap designer handbags (i.e. fakes) go to the Green Eye shop in the Karama area of Dubai. Most taxi drivers know where it is.
Most of the malls are now open all day on Fridays. Hours are usually 10 am - 10 pm. Some stay open till midnight at weekends.
You'll find that watches in the malls here are a lot cheaper than in the UK. I got a TAG a few hundred pounds cheaper than the price we saw back home.
The shopping malls were the only places I saw in Dubai that had mother and baby rooms. Breastfeeding in public is frowned upon.
If you're after fake goods (handbags, watches, T-shirt etc) the best place to go is the Karama area. It's quite close to the Burjuman shopping mall.
