Dubai Shopping Guide - Find where and what to shop and buy

Shopping enthusiasts will feel as though they have landed in shopping paradise with the city's endless array of shopping opportunities to suit all requirements. Huge shopping malls are surrounded by charming local stores and there are endless designer shops aimed at those with flexible bank balances.

There is also a plethora of markets that run throughout the day and night that sell a variety of goods, from handcrafted holiday souvenirs through to textiles and aromatic local spices. Shopping is one of the primary reasons to visit the emirate and everything can be purchased here with many boutique stores catering to the rich and famous.

Dubai has long been synonymous with shopping and visitors get more for their money here, with duty-free shopping proving hugely popular for items such as gold, cars, electronics and furnishings.

Emirates Towers Boulevard

This affluent shopping mall is located on Sheikh Zayed Road and security is tight as it is set in the Emirates Towers where Sheikh Mohammed has an office. Armani, Jimmy Choo and Gucci are just a handful of examples of the types of shops one can expect to find here.

Mall of the Emirates

Boasting the title of the largest shopping mall in Dubai, Mall of the Emirates hosts more than 200 shopping outlets with a superb mixture of high street chains, boutiques, luxury stores and handicraft shops. There are also many cafés and food courts found throughout along with an indoor ski slope and a top-of-the-range cinema.

Wafi Shopping Centre

Luxury is the name of the game with Wafi shopping mall as Chanel and Givenchy are widely available in the numerous boutique shops here that ooze wealth and affluence. Of course, a luxury spa can also be enjoyed for those who wear out their credit cards in the shops and the whole mall was created with an Egyptian theme with stained glass pyramids completing the glamorous look.

Al–Ghurair City

Traditional clothing can be purchased here and the oldest mall in Dubai also sells Arabic furnishings, authentic rugs, stylish shaylas and abayas, and famous brand names such as Nine West and Paris Gallery can also be enjoyed at Al–Ghurair City.

Dubai shopping tips

Although Dubai is well known for its affluence, there are cheaper ways to shop if your budget doesn't stretch to the latest Tiffany necklace or Calvin Klein suit. January welcomes the Shopping Festival, a month-long event that sees two million people visit solely for the bargains that can be enjoyed in the normally expensive shops. High-end malls are effortless to hunt down and personal shoppers and exquisite service are part and parcel of many of the top stores' services.