09.09.2025
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What is this about? Markets in Dubai are both a tourist entertainment and an opportunity to acquire a rare, authentic item. These places sell gold, carpets, handmade items, food and spices.
What to pay attention to? The most famous in Dubai is the Gold Market. The Perfume, Textile and Old markets are just as popular. For those who want to find cheaper goods, there is the Flea Market, Satwa and Arte.
Many people visit Dubai's Gold Market not for shopping, but to admire the unique jewellery items that are presented there in huge quantities. Even residents of the emirate of Sharjah, which has its own gold market, come to Dubai because such a rich selection of jewellery cannot be found anywhere else.
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It is believed that the total mass of gold on the stalls exceeds 10 tonnes. Visitors' eyes are dazzled by sparkling rings, chains, earrings and other precious items. Arabs love gold very much and buy it by the kilogram.
Most of the jewellery sold at the Gold Market is intended for Eastern women. For Europeans, they are too massive and do not fit well into a restrained style. In the East, it is customary to wear many different items simultaneously, emphasising one's wealth.
On the stalls, you can see huge necklaces, aprons and dresses made of gold. Such products are in great demand; sometimes tourists cannot even try on the jewellery they like because locals buy them without bargaining.
On sale are both pure gold items (chains, rings, earrings, ingots, tableware) and combinations with precious stones. As an expensive souvenir from the UAE, you can buy a gold figurine of a camel, puma or other animals.
Gold is used not only for body ornaments but also for bags, smartphone cases, household utensils, and interior items.
Some hotels organise shuttles for their guests. Special buses bring tourists to the Gold Market and take them back after some time.
The market is open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM, but during lunchtime, from 1 PM to 4 PM, most shops close for lunch break and for midday prayer. It is very hot during this time, and there are practically no visitors. On Friday, traders open their shops after 4 PM.
A little further from the Gold Market, in the neighbouring quarter of the Deira district, located the Perfume Market, attracting tourists with a huge variety of perfumes and fragrances in the form of powders, sticks, crystals, wooden and stone products.
The peculiarity of Arabic perfumes is that alcohol is not used in their production; they are made based on oil or wax.
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At the Perfume Market, you can only buy perfumes produced in the UAE. You may come across a box of a well-known brand, but it will most likely be a fake. Real perfumes from famous brands are sold in shopping centres in Dubai, but it is more profitable to buy them at duty-free.
Arabic perfumes are distinguished by their longevity and rich aroma. Local sellers offer to create a unique perfume for you by mixing several notes that you choose.
As with all Eastern markets, at the Perfume Market, you can and should bargain, especially if you purchase several bottles. In this case, the purchase can be very profitable.
Many tourists go to the Perfume Market for the “Arabian treasure” — the oud tree oil and perfumes based on it. The cost of this substance is very high; in the market, its price starts from 380 dirhams (103.45 US dollars) for 3 millilitres. It is used for perfume compositions by famous brands such as Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and others.
This colourful Eastern bazaar is located near the Gold and Perfume markets. For tourists, this is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the riot of colours and smells from the spices, sweets, dried fruits, tea and coffee displayed on the stalls. In addition to food products, you can buy shawls and other cashmere clothing there.
But the main merchandise in this market is, of course, spices. They stand near the stalls in large bags, are piled in colourful fragrant mounds, or lie in packets.
It is simply impossible to leave without a purchase, especially since each merchant offers to try, smell, and touch everything. Buyers will be told in detail which dishes a particular spice is suitable for, and will be convinced to buy several at once for culinary experiments.
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The price announced by the seller can be reduced by about three times if you bargain well. But even in this case, it is more profitable to buy spices in a shop, while at the market you can enjoy the Eastern flavour, the appearance of the merchants, and take glamorous photos against the background of colourful seasonings.
The oldest market in Dubai, embodying all the ideas of a typical Eastern bazaar. Shimmering fabrics, persistent merchants, the widest range of textile products — all this makes it worth visiting this marketplace on the shore of the bay.
This is a real paradise for fashion designers, where you can purchase high-quality locally produced fabrics: chiffon, brocade, cotton, silk, calico. In addition to fabrics, merchants offer a large selection of bedspreads, bed linen, and scarves.
This market also sells clothes, shoes and souvenirs. After buying the fabric, you can immediately order a product made from it. But you should bargain; the final price can be half the announced one.
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Eastern sellers are generally characterised by excessive activity, but at the Textile Market, they are even more intrusive. Even if you went there only out of tourist interest, it will be very difficult to leave without a purchase. Merchants “attack” from all sides, so only a very cold-blooded person who is resistant to persuasion will be able to refuse their offers.
Another old Dubai market, oriented exclusively towards tourists. There you can find many different goods in an ornate Eastern style, with outright fakes and low-quality products. Locals don't go there — both the assortment and prices are designed exclusively for visitors.
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Visitors should be careful. There have been cases where sellers substituted gold with imitation jewelry. Overall, this is not the best place for shopping; prices are higher than in shopping centres, even after taking bargaining into account. You can visit the Old Market to gain impressions and get an idea of Eastern flavour, but purchase souvenirs elsewhere.
The distinctive feature of this shopping venue is that it offers truly high‐quality products, both of local manufacture and from world-renowned brands. At the Madinat Jumeirah Market, old buildings and modern boutiques coexist harmoniously. It is a cool, covered market where one can stroll whilst admiring an array of goods from around the world.
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Tourists who have visited this market note the inflated prices, yet it also presents unique items, including handcrafted pieces that are one-of-a-kind. One cannot purchase cheap souvenirs there; rather, this place can be compared to a museum, whose exhibits include Persian carpets, watches from renowned brands, jewellery, national dress and much more.
Gourmets should definitely visit there to taste products from the Ripe farm and be amazed by the huge selection of craft products. The market opens every Friday and Saturday in the winter months simultaneously in several areas of the city. Farmers bring fresh fruits, vegetables, and their own products there.
The market is popular among both tourists and local connoisseurs of quality food products. There you can watch a master class, ride horses, visit a concert and a petting zoo. This place is excellent for family pastime.
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Location: Zabeel Park, Al Barsha Pond Market, Times Square Centre.
Opening hours: from 9 AM to 3 PM.
What to buy: dates, spices.
On Fridays in the Times Square shopping centre, talented craftsmen of the United Arab Emirates present their unique products. At the market stalls, you can see jewellery, postcards, belts, bags, hats, various samples of fine art, and toys.
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Venue: Al Marabea Road – Al Quoz – Dubai – United Arab Emirates.
Opening hours: every Friday from 8 AM to 10 PM.
What to buy: paintings, dolls, handmade soap.
Satwa is a city square where shops and small stores are located, in which you can find anything. The market is very popular among residents of adjacent quarters. Fabrics and everything necessary for sewing, as well as clothes are sold there. Small ateliers also operate there. As an unusual souvenir, you can buy desert sand in gift packaging.
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Location: D90 – Al Bada'a – Dubai – United Arab Emirates.
Opening hours: from 8 AM to 10 PM.
What to buy: carpets, clothing.
The market is similar to a regular Eastern bazaar, but is located in a new luxury area, which gives it even more charm. There, as in many markets in Dubai, they sell clothes, jewellery, dried organic products, and perfumes; cafes also operate there.
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You can have a snack, listen to musicians perform, order an artist to draw your portrait, and of course, buy something to remember the UAE by.
Location: Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates.
Opening hours: from 9 AM to 11 PM.
What to buy: clothing, souvenirs, works of art.
Fresh vegetables and fruits in a wide assortment are presented at the Al Manara market, but there they are sold in small wholesale quantities, so you will have to buy at least one box.
For prawns, crabs, lobsters and other seafood, it is better to go to Deira. Fresh catch arrives at the Dubai fish market in the morning and evening; there are no frozen products there.
At the Karama market, they sell clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories. Goods there are much more affordable than in boutiques in shopping centres, but don't expect to see real brands on the stalls. Mainly Chinese replicas of good quality are presented there. Another versatile market with acceptable prices is Murshid Bazaar.
For antique lovers, Safa Park Flea Market operates in Dubai on Saturdays during the winter months. Second-hand household utensils, dishes, books, toys, as well as handicrafts are presented in all their diversity. At the stalls, you can find anything, including real rarities.
Al Bahar is located in the world's largest shopping centre. This is not a market in the classic Eastern sense, but comfortable shopping rows located next to elite boutiques of Chanel and Valentino.
On the stalls, you can see aromatic oils, jewellery, bronze lamps, abayas, scarves, and fresh pastries. From the top floor, there is an excellent view of the evening light show of the singing fountains.
The Global Village fair is among the places that must be visited in Dubai. It is located far from the city, and is oriented exclusively towards visitors who are brought to the market as part of an excursion. Prices there are inflated, but the assortment is striking in its diversity. At Global Village, it is not difficult to find goods from all corners of the world.
The oldest marketplace in Dubai is considered to be the Naif Souk bazaar, previously known as the camel market. It is best to visit this place closer to the evening when trade is particularly active. Over the many years of its existence, it has undergone several large-scale reconstructions.
Now it is a spacious two-storey building in which trading rows are located. There you can buy traditional Arabic clothing, sweets, souvenirs, leather goods, fabrics, and electronics.
In Dubai, there are many markets of interest to tourists and lovers of unique shopping. This is a paradise for those who know how to bargain, as you can significantly reduce the price of a product you like. The assortment includes many interesting items worth bringing back as a memento of your trip to the UAE.
There are offers for any budget there: from inexpensive figurines to massive gold jewellery. For Europeans, the behaviour of merchants may seem too intrusive, but this is a characteristic feature of Eastern bazaars.
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