Dubai can’t rival London or New York in the retail stakes - at least not yet - but it does boast a disproportionate number of shops for a city its size. With each new development comes another influx of shops - but while the number of outlets rise, so too do concerns about repetition and homegeneity. Will supply be matched by demand? Watch this retail space.
While there are bargains to be had - even more so now the exchange rate is around AED7 to the pound, compared with AED5 five years ago - it’s definitely a case of caveat emptor as some items are overpriced by Western standards (books, magazines) while others, notably gold, electronics and textiles, offer value for money. Gold and electronics consistently rank as the top-selling sectors by category at Dubai Duty Free, which together with the Gold Souk, is probably the city’s most well-known shopping experience.
Propping up the vast retail scene are the souks on either side of the Creek waterway - spices, silver and gold - which are as much a tourism feature as a retail attraction. In tandem with the property and construction boom, the next two years will see retail supply rocket which, depending on who you talk to, is either a shrewd move tailored to meet future demand or one massive oil-diversification gamble.
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The Dubai Government clearly believes it is the former and aims to have 15 million hotel guests by 2010 which, if they do all turn up, will mean an awful lot more shoppers. In the mean time, the development continues apace.
Dubai Festival City, a 4,600-acre retail come leisure emporium, opens in phases from the end of this year in the heart of the city while Mall of the Emirates - which includes an indoor ski slope - opens next to the main Sheikh Zayed Road highway next year. Upmarket complexes are also earmarked for Burj Dubai (tallest tower), Palm Jumeirah (Golden Mile) and recently announced Dubai Waterfront next to Palm Jebel Ali.
GOLD
Although the price of the precious metal is fixed - currently AED 46 (£6.50) a gramme - you can haggle over the workmanship, although it won’t amount to huge savings. Prices are fairly consistent, whether you head to the tourism honeypot of the Gold Souk or any independent jewelers elsewhere. The Gold Souk is lined with shop windows glinting with bracelets, necklaces and ear-rings in 18, 21 and 22 carats. Bars of 24 carat in any form and weight and bullion coins in 24 and 22 carat are also available. If you have money in your pocket and want to buy from a reputable name visit Alukkas Jewellery or Damas which have some striking designs. Dubai Municipality regularly undertakes spot-checks of outlets to ensure they all fit carat standards so again, you can be assured you’re not buying a glistening imitation.
SHOES
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Everything from sandels to top-brand stilettos are sold in Dubai. Ladies looking for mid-market options could do worse than Zara or Aldo at the huge Deira City Centre but anything leather is pricey (men’s black shoes at Chic Shoes cost £95. You can pick up children’s shoes at the Bur Dubai souk by the Creek (£4 a pair).
SUNDRIES
Carrefour at Deira City Centre is a a 53-checkout monster hypermarket selling foodstuffs, electronics, clothing and household items at reasonable prices. A sturdy suitcase costs £18, microwaves from £23 and a Samsung 43-inch TV, £620. DVD players range from £19 to £250. You name it, it’s here.
CLOTHES
Splash (Oasis City Centre and an outlet in Karama district) sells extremely reasonable clothes: a blue sleeveless top costs £4 while a pair of jeans is priced £7.50. Zara (Bur Juman and Deira) is more expensive but sells trendy clothes for men, women and kids (£20 for a polka dot dress). Head to Diesel at the recently expanded BurJuman Centre if you’re into brands and not afraid to pay £114 for jeans or £92 for a denim skirt. If you want to return home with something of a regional flavour, visit Deepaks in Bur Dubai, which has a range of hip Indian outfits and colourful saris.
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For him, Massimo Dutti at Deira City Centre has stylish men’s gear (suits cost £210) while Marks & Spencer - shirts from £28 - recently opened at the upmarket Wafi City. Other options include Bur Juman Ralph Lauren purple label for shirts, suits and ties; Links for cuff-links (Deira); Emirates Towers Shopping Boulevard for Church’s shoes and 1847 the region’s first upmarket salon for men - for some post-retail therapy.
COSMETICS
Paris Gallery (Al Ghurair Centre, Deira) has a wide range of perfumes and cosmetics but you’re probably better off buying them on your return at Dubai Duty-Free where bottles are anything up to £7 cheaper than the city.
HOUSEHOLD
Marina Gulf Trading isn’t the easiest place to find, located in a warehouse in Al Quoz district opposite Burj Al Arab, but it’s worth the effort as it sells a range of distinctive furniture, much of which has crossed the water from Iran or the Subcontinent. A teak brown coffee table costs £170. For more general household bits and pieces, a huge HomeCentre can be found within the Oasis Centre.
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COMPUTERS
Computer Street in the heart of Bur Dubai is recommended and another option is the nearby Computer Plaza next to the Spinneys supermarket. If you don’t find anything takes your fancy, Dubai Duty Free sells a broad range of electronics goods among its 15,000-plus items.
CARPETS
In Deira Tower’s shopping mall, traders in carpets from countries across the Gulf - Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan - have established a carpet souk where prices in the 40 shops range from a few hundred dirhams to many thousands.
Restrictions/taxes
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The UAE has no taxes on goods although a GCC-wide VAT is being mulled over, with ridiculously cheap cigarettes likely to be first in the firing line. There are no restrictions on the import or export of gold, jewellery or currency. You can bring in up to 2,000 cigarettes and 400 cigars and 2kg of tobacco; two litres of spirits of more than 22 per cent alcohol and two litres of wine (non-Muslims over 18 years only); a reasonable amount of perfume for personal use.
ABU DHABI
The resources-rich UAE capital is not under the same pressure as Dubai to diversify its economy but it is stepping up its investment in hospitality and retail nonetheless. The two shopping heavyweights here are the Abu Dhabi Mall and Marina Mall. The 200,000 square metre Abu Dhabi Mall has more than 200 stores comprising children’s, women’s and men’s fashion stores, make-up and perfume, music, soft-furnishings, household furniture, electrical goods, gifts, health-food, pharmacies, confectionary, dates, sportswear, books and stationary.
An additional 95,500 square metres is being tagged on to Marina Mall, and it will contain a Tower Building, Snow World and host of retailers when it opens in September. Some open-air souks can also be found around the city, selling Oriental spices, coloured fabrics, Persian rugs and traditional jewellery.