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Dubai boasts numerous shopping centres with an extensive range of brand-name stores and a wide assortment of luxury goods, making it a paradise for shopping enthusiasts. Practically every district of the emirate has a mall or shopping complex, providing residents of apartments in Dubai with easy access to essential goods, services, and grocery. The most popular and largest malls are located in the central part of the city and near the coastline.
Content:
- Dubai's role in global retail
- Dubai Mall: musical fountain, aquarium, and fashion avenue
- Mall of the Emirates: more than just shopping
- Ibn Battuta Mall: inspired by travelling
- City Walk: ultra-modern style
- Dubai Outlet Mall: discounted brand items
- Dubai Festival City Mall: family fun and shopping
- Dubai Marina Mall: shopping by the sea
- Conclusion
Dubai's role in global retail
Dubai is one of the largest shopping hubs in the Middle East. Many people travel to the emirate specifically for shopping, as here you can find products to suit every taste. Among the key advantages of shopping in Dubai are:
- Absence of tax on most retail-available goods.
- A wide selection of premium brand boutiques.
- Enormous and comfortable malls that feature not only pavilions with various categories of goods but also food courts, entertainment parks, children's playrooms, cinemas, fitness studios, and much more.
- Annual sales events where you can purchase high-quality branded products at significant discounts.
Popular shopping centres in Dubai: features and shopping tips
Most shopping malls in Dubai accept payment by card or cash in UAE dirhams. Most stores also accept payments through smartphone or smartwatch apps (Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, etc.).
Popular items frequently imported from the UAE include high-quality clothing, perfumes, textiles, jewelry, hookahs, sweets, and coffee.
The best Dubai shopping malls offer comfortable conditions for shopping. Visitors can avail themselves of car parking facilities, food courts with a variety of dining establishments, family entertainment parks, and much more. Let's take a closer look at the most popular shopping and entertainment venues in the emirate.
Dubai Mall: musical fountain, aquarium, and fashion avenue
Dubai Mall with an aquarium is one of the world's largest malls with a total area of over 1.1 million sq. m. Located near the famous Burj Khalifa skyscraper, this shopping complex is situated in the heart of the city's business and cultural district, Downtown. One of its distinctive features is the breathtaking view of the musical fountain and the towering Burj Khalifa. The mall houses over 200 dining venues, ranging from small fast-food outlets to high-end restaurants.
It also features several entertainment parks, including Sega Republic and KidZania. The latter is an improvised city for children, where they can engage in various activities and professions through play.
The complex operates from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM, with waterfront restaurants open until 2:00 AM.
Stores and brands
Enthusiasts of premium-class fashion will undoubtedly appreciate the numerous boutiques of luxury global brands. The complex is home to department stores like Bloomingdale's and Galeries Lafayette, offering premium clothing. Fashion Avenue, the fashionable street within the mall, hosts boutiques of brands such as Burberry, Prada, Versace, Carolina Herrera, and many other premium brands. It also features mass-market brand pavilions like Zara, Marks & Spencer, Jordan, Bershka, River Island, and Pull & Bear.
In addition to clothing, footwear, and accessories, the complex offers watches, costume jewelry, and jewelry from both local manufacturers and renowned global retailers such as Tissot, Swarovski, Jacob & Co., etc. Fashionable and high-quality eyewear can be purchased at the Ray-Ban boutique. Cosmetics and perfumes are widely available in branded stores, including Lush Cosmetics and department stores like Sephora and others.
The mall also houses electronics stores where you can purchase products from well-known brands like Canon, Dyson, Huawei, Sony, Samsung, and many others.
Ice rink and aquarium
If you have come to Dubai, a shopping centre with an aquarium is a place worth visiting, even if you are not a shopping enthusiast. The Dubai Mall aquarium is a gigantic underwater zoo home to over 33,000 marine animals, including the largest population of tiger sharks. The aquatic reservoir boasts impressive dimensions: a width of 20 meters, a length of 51 meters, and a height of 11 meters. The highlight for visitors is the 48-meter tunnel that creates the illusion of diving into the underwater world. In the aquatic zoo, you can take a boat ride with a glass bottom or even go underwater swimming with marine inhabitants.
Another famous attraction within this enormous shopping mall is a professional Olympic-sized ice rink. Here, you can skate or take skating lessons.
Mall of the Emirates: more than just shopping
Mall of the Emirates is a massive shopping destination featuring stores from most famous brands. It includes a Carrefour hypermarket, a cinema, an amusement park, and a ski resort.
The complex is located on Sheikh Zayed Road in Al Barsha, near the metro station of the same name. Opening hours are from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM.
Stores and boutiques
Within the complex, you will find department stores like Marks & Spencer, Harvey Nichols, and Debenhams. The Fashion Dome section hosts boutiques of luxury brands such as Chanel, Missoni, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, and more.
Guests can enjoy additional services, including parking space reservations, assistance with shopping and product delivery, personal outfit selection with the help of a stylist, and more.
Entertainment and attractions
Aside from shopping, visitors can have a great time at:
- Magic Planet, an amusement park for children.
- VOX Cinemas, a cinema complex.
- Ski Dubai, the city's largest indoor ski resort where you can ski and snowboard on slopes covered with artificial snow.
- Various cafes and restaurants, including the popular Taiwanese cuisine restaurant, Din Tai Fung.
Ibn Battuta Mall: inspired by travelling
The massive Ibn Battuta Mall is renowned for its luxurious design inspired by the travels of the explorer Ibn Battuta. Here, you'll find:
- Over 300 retail stores.
- More than 50 dining establishments.
- A cinema complex with 21 screens, a bar, and a restaurant. The cinema halls are equipped with modern IMAX, 3D, and 3D IMAX systems.
- The Precision Football sports complex.
- Fitness centers, including The Warehouse Gym and Fitness First.
- Jumeirah International Nurseries childcare facility.
- Beauty salons.
- 3 hotels.
The mall is located in Jebel Ali Village and can be reached by both car and public transport. There are bus stops and a metro station near it.
On Fridays and Saturdays, the complex operates from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM, while on other days, it opens from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Thematic zones and decorations
The shopping area is divided into 6 pavilions, each symbolizing a specific region.
- In the Egypt zone, you can see majestic pyramids.
- The Tunisia pavilion is decorated with exquisite molding.
- The Indian hall features statues of phoenixes and dragons.
- The central element of the Andalusia zone is a large fountain with lion statues.
- The Persian pavilion boasts a splendid painted dome.
- In the China-themed area, you'll find sunken ships and pirate vessels, telling the story of the traveler's adventures and dangers on the journey to the East.
Stores and entertainment events
The shopping centre includes a large Carrefour supermarket and numerous branded boutiques, including:
- Miniso for souvenirs;
- R & B for clothing;
- Timberland for footwear;
- Marks & Spencer for clothing;
- Sephora for cosmetics;
- Sharaf DG for electronics;
- Bath & Body Works for cosmetics and home candles;
- LC Waikiki for clothing;
- Rituals for cosmetics and perfumes.
City Walk: ultra-modern style
The open-air shopping and entertainment destination, City Walk, is located in the central part of Dubai, in the Al Wasl district, just 3 km from the city center. The main feature of the complex is tree-lined pedestrian walkways that lead you straight to the seafront. The venue is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Within the centre, there are numerous fashionable restaurants, cozy cafes, and bars to suit every taste. Additionally, you can find the Roxy Cinemas complex, the Honey Bee Nursery childcare facility for children aged 4 months to 4 years, and the expansive Green Planet greenhouse, where you can see a vast variety of tropical plants, different fish species, birds, reptiles, and mammals. There are also cafes and areas for children's parties.
Brand and designer stores
City Walk showcases a wide range of products from both local and international brands, including:
- Sportswear by Adidas;
- Footwear from 3Kicks;
- Women's clothing from Anatomi and Sophie Couture;
- Men's clothing from Doppelganger;
- Denim clothing from True Religion;
- Jewelry from Swarovski;
- Watches by D1 Milano;
- Cosmetics and perfumes at Sephora;
- Dubai perfumery at Top Perfumer;
- Premium designer dresses at The Hour Dress;
- Clothing at VAO Concept Store (featuring luxury brands like Dior, Valentino, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy, Thom Browne, Stone Island, and more).
Food and events
City Walk offers ample shopping opportunities and also a multitude of options for enjoyable leisure time. There are numerous dining venues where you can order food to your liking, ranging from fast food at McDonald's to restaurants serving Peruvian, Spanish, Lebanese, Italian, Chinese, American, French, Arabic, Indian, and other world cuisines.
In the evenings, street performances and shows are organized on the central square near the fountain. Within the mall, you'll find the famous Coca-Cola Arena, a concert venue that can accommodate 17,000 people and features a highly adaptable design with a movable modular stage. It regularly hosts sporting events, exhibitions, comedy shows, and concerts by popular musical artists from around the world. You can check the event schedule on the official Coca-Cola Arena website.
Furthermore, City Walk is home to the NoWayOut entertainment centre, offering themed quests and adventures.
Dubai Outlet Mall: discounted brand items
Dubai Outlet Mall is a popular destination for those looking to purchase high-quality products from leading luxury brands at great discounts. The complex is located on Dubai – Al Ain Road, in Dubailand, and operates on the following schedule:
- Sunday to Thursday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Friday and Saturday: 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Wide range of brands
The mall hosts 240 stores selling products from over 1,300 brands from around the world. Here, you can purchase clothing, footwear, and accessories from luxury brands, including:
- Burberry
- Nine West
- Coach
- Calvin Klein
- Roberto Cavalli
- Valentino
- DKNY
- Fendi
- Guess
- Hugo Boss
- Lacoste
It also features:
- Coral Perfumes fragrance store;
- Coronet jewelry salon;
- Nutrition health supplement store;
- Al Jaber optics;
- Various children's clothing stores;
- USBS electronics centre;
- A confectionery and bakery.
Entertainment and dining
At the entrance of the complex, there is a colorful play area, where children can have a great time. During your shopping spree, you can grab a bite to eat at one of the local cafes and restaurants. Some of the establishments include:
- TomYum Thai restaurant;
- Cafeterias with ready-made food like Al Khawabi and Beryozka;
- Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant with a kids' play area;
- Fast-food joints like McDonald's and Burger King;
- Costa Coffee café.
Dubai Festival City Mall: family fun and shopping
Dubai Festival City Mall is located on Crescent Road, in the Dubai Festival City area, along the Dubai Creek. Its main attraction is the Imagine light and water show, which takes place every evening.
Operating hours of the complex are as follows: Monday to Thursday: 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Friday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 01:00 AM.
Variety of shops and cafes
Within the mall, there are two major chain hypermarkets: LuLu and Carrefour, along with over 400 stores offering products from various categories. This includes a large IKEA store, flagship boutiques of Zara, Adidas, Marks & Spencer, H&M, Nike, and more.
Visitors can enjoy their time and order delicious food at the 75 cafes and restaurants located on the waterfront. The mall features one of the largest food courts in the emirate, the only Hard Rock Café in the Middle East, as well as restaurants like Al Fanar, Five Guys, Galito's, Applebee's, and many others.
Entertainment for the whole family
Visitors can have a great time at the following entertainment venues:
- Family club Fabyland;
- Children's play areas Bricobilandia and Stay & Play;
- Dubai's first glowing-themed centre for both children and adults, Glowland;
- Bounce-X freestyle park;
- Leo & Loona family park with a restaurant.
Every evening after sunset, a show called Imagine takes place in the bay near the mall. It features illuminated fountains that rotate 360 degrees, immersive projections, laser shows, sound, and video effects. This show has been twice listed in the Guinness World Records and holds a quality certificate from TripAdvisor.
Dubai Marina Mall: shopping by the sea
Marina Mall is a 4-story shopping and entertainment complex located in the popular coastal area of Dubai Marina. The mall includes over 130 shops, cafes, restaurants, and a cinema. It is situated next to the pedestrian promenade and a marina where leisure boats depart. An indoor walkway connects the complex to the Address Dubai Marina hotel.
Operating hours of the venue:
- Sunday to Thursday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Friday and Saturday: 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
Stores
The mall offers a wide range of stores with clothing, footwear, toys, electronics, home goods, sports, beauty, and health products. Food products are available at the Waitrose supermarket. Well-known brands such as H&M, Mango, New Look, Balmain, COS, Levi's, and many others can be found here.
Cafes and restaurants
Various dining establishments cater to visitors, many of which have open terraces offering beautiful views of the marina bay with yachts. Within the mall, you can find cafes like Caffè Nero, The Coffee Club, Cinnabon, and restaurants including:
- Carluccio's
- Le Pain Quotidien
- Eeten Urban Kitchen
- Tortilla
- Moon Tower
- Indian Access
Conclusion
A wide variety of shopping and entertainment venues, supermarkets with delicious and healthy products, and nearby malls where you can spend the whole day with your family, creating numerous positive experiences – all of this provides a comfortable environment for owners of property in Dubai. Such a purchase allows you to move to a city with excellent infrastructure, a high level of service, and safety. Finding the nearest shopping centre, school, or park will be easy.
You can select apartments or villas in Dubai through our website. The catalog offers a vast selection of real estate from various agencies and directly from developers. To choose the best option, feel free to reach out to our specialists.