Although there is no limit to what you can buy in Dubai, certain traditional crafts and Arabic wares make more interesting souvenirs than others.
To facilitate your souvenir shopping, we have created a list of the most popular traditional crafts and souvenirs to take back from your visit to Dubai.
- Gold and diamond jewelry
- Precious and semi-precious stones
- Oudh and attars
- Pashmina shawls
- Persian rugs and carpets
- Arabian coffee and coffee pots
- Camel milk chocolate
- Arabian dates
- Spices
- Hookah pipe
- Arabic lanterns
- Khanjar daggers
- Incense holders
- Anything with camels on
Now, obviously, you can buy these items in most shopping centres, malls and markets, but some locations are more focused on traditional Arabic crafts and souvenirs. Dubai Mall, for example, has an entire Arabic section with local products. Let’s take a closer look at some of these malls and markets.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Located in the sprawling Madinat Jumeirah resort, Souk Madinat is a modern take on a traditional souk with intimate boutique shops. Seek out local treasures such as spices, slippers, locally made jewelry, ornate lanterns, carved wood, art and high-end Arabic souvenirs of every description.
Souk Al Bahar
Adjacent to Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar is an Arabian-themed mall with natural stone corridors and tall archways gracing its shop-lined alleyways. This is where you will find tapestries and carpets, intricate handicrafts, eclectic jewelry, culturally inspired fashion, heady perfumes, art and much more.
Gold Souk
The Deira Gold Souk is a traditional outdoor market with hundreds of big and small jewelry stores. For sale here is primarily gold jewelry, but you can also find silver and precious stone jewelry in intricate Arab and Indian designs. Be prepared to do some bargaining.
Gold and Diamond Park
An indoor and uncrowded mall dedicated solely to gold, diamond, semi-precious and precious stone jewelry. The quality of the workmanship is excellent, and you can design your own pieces. Bargaining is absolutely possible.
Spice Souk
With hundreds of stalls lined up along the narrow streets that make up the Spice Souk, on offer is a wide range of exotic spices, fragrances and ittar.
Perfume Souk
Follow the road up from the Gold and Spice Souks to the Perfume Souk on Sikkat Al Khali Street. You can buy everything scented here, from pure perfume to essential oils, incense sticks and the exotic oud. You can also have a personal fragrance created by local perfumers.
