Shopping in Dubai: Top Malls, Outlets, and Unique Shops to Explore

Shopping in Dubai is one of the most favorite activities of tourists who come to the UAE. In the largest emirate of the country, you can buy everything from perfumes to appliances, but not all goods are profitable and reliable to buy here.

You should go to Dubai for high-quality cosmetics, exotic fruits and dried fruits, various spices, cheap bags and suitcases, gold jewelry at the price of silver in the SNA and diamonds. Clothing in the UAE is sold of high quality, but you should not go here for branded items (outlets do not count) – their cost here does not differ from ours. The same situation has developed with the equipment-there is no point in buying it in Dubai not during the sales period.

Don’t get carried away! When you see discounts on fur coats or cheap coffee by weight, keep in mind the prices for each kilogram of excess weight at the airport.

Of course, shopping in one of the richest countries in the world is not cheap, but thanks to low taxes on imported products, prices for shopping in Dubai are more reasonable than in many European countries. Where do you buy quality items in the UAE? What is the difference between an outlet or mall and which shopping centers in Dubai are really worth visiting? Everything you wanted to know about local shopping is in this article.

Dubai Mall

In the shopping and entertainment center, 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 luxury brand stores;
• Children’s entertainment center, which occupies 8000 m2;
• Multiple movie theaters;
• 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. There are boutiques of both elite brands – Debenhams, CK, Versace, D&G, and more budget H&M, Zara, etc. In the Mall of the Emirates there is a hypermarket with a huge assortment of fresh products, in addition, you can have a delicious lunch in one of several dozen cafes.

A tip! Expensive branded items are sold in stores located on the second floor of the shopping center, while more affordable brands are sold on the first floor.

Most of all, Mall of the Emirates is popular with travelers because of the large number of different entertainment options. So, it is the first in the Middle East indoor ski complex Ski Dubai, with an area of 3 thousand square meters, where 1.5 thousand people can relax at the same time. All year round, its snowboard tracks, toboggan runs and ski trails are covered with artificial snow, and the entire Ski Dubai area, including the ice caves, is kept at a temperature of -5 degrees.

The Mall of the Emirates also has a cinema, several amusement parks and an art center. You can play billiards and bowling, go on rides, go on a quest, play a few rounds of golf, or relax in one of the spas. There is always room for a car on one of the floors of the 3-level parking lot.

Please note! There are a huge number of air conditioners on the territory of the shopping center, which can make it cold inside.

You can find out which brands are represented in the Emirates Mall of Dubai, what sales are waiting for you during your vacation, as well as the location of all stores 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 and can be reached by metro, bus, car or taxi.

Overview with photos of areas of the city of Dubai — where it is better to live

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 size or low prices, its highlight is 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, etc. Each of the regions has its own symbols, represented in the form of fountains, sculptures or paintings – Ibn Battuta Mall you can get a closer look at 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 high-quality things are presented at affordable prices. Apart from branded boutiques with the best clothing and footwear, tourists often visit drains and outlets located on the first floor of the shopping center, where you can buy products from previous seasons at a big discount. In addition, Ibn Battuta Mall has a Carrefour supermarket, the only Imax cinema in Dubai, several spas, bowling and karaoke, an amusement park, children’s playgrounds, many restaurants and cafes, and a delicious ice cream shop. Parking on the territory of the shopping center is free.

A tip! Tourists advise everyone who has children to go shopping at the Mothercare discount center – prices here are lower than in domestic stores.

• Ibn Battuta Mall is open from 10 am to 10 pm from Sunday to Wednesday and from 10 am to 24 pm from Thursday to Saturday.
• It is located near the center of Dubai, at Jebel Ali Vilage, the metro stop of the same name runs along the red line of the second zone.

Wafi City Mall

Wafi City Mall and its 230 boutiques and outlets attract more than 30 million visitors every year, a shopaholic’s dream and a place of work for the best jewelers in the East. Here you can buy both luxury brands like Chanel, Givenchy and Versaci, as well as mass-market products: Zara, H&M and Bershka. In addition, the shopping center has 4 entertainment centers for the whole family, where you can have fun on rides, hone your skills in bowling, billiards or golf, and also go into space, solving all the riddles of the X-Space quest. Carrefour is located on the ground floor.

Wafi City Mall is completely decorated in the style of Ancient Egypt, every day at 21: 30 there is a light show “Return of the Pharaoh”, which is very popular with young children.

Please note! The Wafi City Mall has a covered parking area, but you can only park your car for two hours free of charge.

The opening hours of 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.

• You can view the exact list of boutiques and sales dates on the Shopping center’s website (www.wafi.com).
• The address of the establishment is Oud Metha Road.

Marina Mall

Dubai Marina Mall is a large shopping and entertainment center located on the city’s waterfront at Sheikh Zayed Road. Among its competitors, it stands out for its calm and quiet atmosphere, the absence of queues and noisy crowds. Dubai Marina Mall has 160 retail outlets, including several low-cost outlets, Patrizia Pepe and Miss Sixty boutiques, Nike, Adidas and Lacoste sports and casual clothing discounts, home appliances and electronics stores, and a large Waitrose supermarket. Here you can find many products from local manufacturers. From entertainment in Dubai Marina Mall, tourists are offered an ice rink, a cinema, a theme park and many restaurants.

Life hack! Dubai’s outlets and malls are popular not only among tourists, but also among locals. To avoid the large crowds and enjoy the lack of queues in the shops, visit it during Ramadan.

Dubai Marina Mall is open every day from 10 to 23, on Thursday and Friday-until 24. You can get to the shopping center by metro, exit at the station of the same name, by bus or taxi. The list of brands represented and the names of the shopping center’s cafes can be viewed here — www.dubaimarinamall.com/.

Late time! Many hotels provide shuttle services to and from Dubai’s biggest 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.

For your information: Which of the best beaches in Dubai to relax on-see the review on this page.

Outlet Village

One of the youngest outlets in Dubai has become a favorite place for shopping among budget tourists. It is here that you can find designer and branded items with discounts of up to 90%, buy cheap textiles and home decorations, have fun in the indoor park or relax in one of the cafes. The most popular brands among tourists that are sold in The Outlet Village are Michael Kros, New Balance, Carolina Herrera, Hugo Boss and Armani.

Please note! The Outlet Village does not offer mass-market products.

The Outlet Village Dubai is a corner of Italy in the East-its architecture will repeat the images of the town of San Gimignano, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• You can get to the outlet located at Sheikh Zayed Rd by a free shuttle from major shopping centers or hotels.
• The Outlet Village Dubai is open every day and has a standard opening schedule.
• Official website with more detailed information about shopping in the outlet – www.theoutletvillage.ae.

Outlet Mall Dubai

If you want to find branded items at the lowest prices in the UAE, feel free to go to Dubai Outlet Mall. There are no luxury cafes or individual boutiques with Gucci items, but there is a huge selection of high-quality clothing and shoes left over from unsold collections. Unlike The Outlet Village, if you go shopping at the Dubai Outlet Mall, you will not be able to buy luxury brands. Instead, the shopping center offers a variety of mass-market products at affordable prices, in addition to which there are favorable offers for the sale of every second or third unit in the receipt for free.

Travel recommendations! Fans of rich scents should visit the Arab perfume boutique on the top floor of the outlet – here you can buy excellent perfume with a discount of up to 50%. Also pay attention to 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 is Dubai Al-Ain Road.
• There are free buses to the outlet, but you can also get there by taxi.
• Standard work schedule, official website – www.dubaioutletmall.com.

Shopping in Dubai is an exciting and sometimes very profitable activity. Spend your time on vacation with pleasure and benefit. Big discounts to you!