Riyadh
Urban legend has it that Saudi royals used to ditch their pricey handbags here, but in reality it’s unlikely you’ll find any couture. The city’s largest…
Must-see shopping in Arabian Peninsula
Abu Dhabi
The garrulous traders from Balochistan, Pakistan, here are good fun, though don't expect to encounter piles of beautiful jewel-toned hand-loomed carpets…
Bur Dubai
The place for traditional Middle Eastern attars (perfumes), Ajmal custom blends its earthy scents and pours them into fancy gold or jewel-encrusted…
Bur Dubai
Rather than rest on its laurels, Dubai's oldest high-end mall (open since 1992) just keeps reinventing itself. A recent remodel added some 200 shops …
Downtown Dubai
The carrots may have roots attached and dirt might stick to the fennel bulb, because both were still in the ground the previous day. Now they're vying for…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
The shopping is good if nothing extraordinary, but it's the lavish and exotic design and architecture of this 400-shop mall that steal the show, tracing…
Madinat Zayed Shopping & Gold Centre
Abu Dhabi
For first-time visitors to a gold souq, the window displays of bridal necklaces, earrings and belts, the trays of precious stones and the tiers of gold…
Salalah
Head for this souq to rub shoulders with the jovial Dhofari people who have been assembling in this spot, albeit under different awnings, for centuries…
Abu Dhabi
If you've never been to a regional wholesale hardware market before, then this collection of stalls huddled around the harbour edge is a fun destination…
Kuwait City
The place to buy everything from Afghan coats and antiques to a secondhand sofa, this enormous semi-covered market is a shopping extravaganza – but, more…
Bur Dubai
Arguably the oldest shopping district in Dubai, the Meena Bazaar comprises a labyrinth of streets surrounding the Bur Dubai Souq that are packed with…
Bur Dubai
Now in her 70s, Ritu Kumar is an Indian fashion designer famed for her stunning colourful prints and fabrics. As well as traditional lehengas (ankle…
Bur Dubai
In business since 1950, Fabindia is one of India's biggest retail chains and mostly sells products handmade by more than 50,000 Indian villagers using…
Manama
This small shopping centre next to Seef Mall has gone for quality over quantity. There's a lovely reproduction of an old Gulf souq in the Souq Al…
Salalah
There's a charm to this 1970s-style parade of shops, with their windows glittering with rows of 22-carat gold bangles, wedding necklaces and headdresses…
Doha
A trip to City Center Doha is more event than errand for its congregations of juice-sipping Qataris and huddles of homesick expatriates. In addition to…
Salalah
This attractive mall encompasses a hotel (handy for visiting the Salalah Tourism Festival), recommended restaurants, a branch of Carrefour supermarket …
Dubai
The first outlet mall in the Middle East is a bargain shopper's nirvana with 240 stores offering discounts ranging from 30% to 90%. Don't expect the…
Sharjah
One of the oldest souqs in the UAE, Souq Al Arsah once crawled with traders from Iran and India and local Bedouin, their camels fastened to posts outside…
Doha
Doha's first shopping mall is a relatively low-key affair, with a mixture of midrange international brands and independent local outlets. Look for the…
Oman
Bedouin women, still wearing their traditional peaked-mask costume, sell handicrafts from a small goat-hair tent by the side of the road here. Items begin…
Manama
The country's true mega-mall, City Centre Bahrain has something for everyone. If international brands have a presence in Bahrain, you'll most likely find…
Dubai
The Syrian couple behind Urbanist dedicate the shop's shelf space to hand-curated items rooted in both tradition and modernity, and Western and Middle…
Nizwa
With a traditional diet that relied heavily on dates, Omanis have a particularly sweet tooth. A favourite confection is halwa, a thick, gelatinous sweet…
Oman
Neighbouring the fort, Sohar's revamped heritage souq boasts a covered walkway with a fine wooden ceiling and an arcade with shops that sport wooden doors…
Dubai
The modern-Middle Eastern design of this locally adored boutique mall is as much a draw as the shops, which include rare gems like the first UAE branch of…
Nizwa
At the farthest reach of Nizwa's enormous souq complex, the Date Market showcases the region's many date varieties. Famous khalas dates are available, but…
Bur Dubai
Really handy if you have a sudden hardware/software demand or dilemma, this jam-packed computer and electronics mall has more than 80 outlets selling…
Downtown Dubai
Clued-in gourmets know that some of the world's best honey is Sidr, produced by nomadic beekeepers in war-torn Yemen. At this little kiosk near the…
Saudi Arabia
No Muslim visits Medina without purchasing some of the city's famous dates, and there's no better place to get them at bargain prices than at this market,…
Downtown Dubai
Stand under the lollipop tree, watch the candy-makers at work or gorge yourself on gourmet popcorn at this colourful candy emporium stocked to the rafters…
Kuwait City
This waterfront shopping mall opposite Kuwait Bay began as a traditional souq and over the years morphed into a full modern shopping mall. It has a small…
Saudi Arabia
This is the best place in town to grab a souvenir or local handicraft piece. Hail's traditional souq area is split into sections selling the traditional,…
Kuwait City
In central Kuwait City, this luxury mall has brands like Gucci, Mont Blanc, Hermes and Yves Saint Laurent. It's a mellower shopping experience compared to…
Mecca
These towers feature a prayer hall that can accommodate up to 10,000 people and – perhaps incongruously – a five-storey mega shopping mall. The 601m-tall,…
Saudi Arabia
This 167-year-old Saudi perfumer sells the premium smell of Arabia – the height of luxurious Arabian oud and musk. This little shop, under Royal Inn Al…
Dubai
This is the kind of shop where 'notebooks' are still made from paper. Indeed, here they come in all shapes and sizes, from cutesy to corporate, along with…
Bur Dubai
Old-style traditional Arab hospitality meant dates and camel milk. Now Emiratis offer their guests Bateel’s scrumptious date chocolates and truffles, made…
Nizwa
As with almost all gold souqs in the region, there are absolutely no fixed prices in the string of jewellery shops that line Main St (between the fort and…
Manama
Founded by Indian immigrants who arrived more than 200 years ago, the shops in the Gold Souq are still owned mostly by the families of those early…
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