Dubai is a business and cultural center located in the United Arab Emirates on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. Traditionally, Dubai has been an oil producing city, but in the past several years it has been westernized. The main proceeds for the city now come from tourism, aviation, real estate and financial services.
Bigger is better in Dubai. Dubai is home to the world’s largest building the Burj Khalifa and the largest shopping center in the world, The Dubai Mall In fact, Dubai is known as the shopping capital of the Middle East because of its 70 plus shopping malls. Below are a few examples of the unique shopping experiences that this magical city has as to offer you on your holidays in Dubai – you might want to bring a couple extra suitcases!
Mercato Shopping Mall
Location: Jumeirah Road, Jumeirah
In Italian Mercato means market. The Mercato Shopping Mall is the first ever themed mall in the Middle East. It’s a step back in time to a Mediterranean Renaissance shopping center with colorful decorations, cobbled walkways and authentic street lights.
The main shopping and entertainment attractions at the Mercato Shopping Mall are Spinneys Supermarket, Vox Cinemas and a Virgin Megastore. There is also Fun City which has educational games for children. Following the Mediterranean theme, Mercato is home to several street cafes which sever coffee and homemade desserts.
Ibn Battuta Mall
Location: Sheikh Zayed Road Interchanges 5/6, Dubai
Ibn Battuta Mall is named after a famed Islamic scholar who traveled the world discovering different cultures. The mall has themed courts based on Ibn Battuta journeys in Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China. The Battuta Mall also has the regions first IMAX theater.
Dubai Festival City Mall
Location: P.O.Box 49776, Dubai Festival City, Dubai
Dubai Festival City Mall is a city within a city. It is an urban community located on 1300 acres of waterfront property. It has shopping, dining, entertainment, schools, hotels and even a residential community. The mall itself has 400 retailers, 75 restaurants, 12-screen Movie Theater, a bowling alley and it is home to the Hard Rock Café Dubai.
The Dubai Mall
Location: Doha St, Dubai
The Dubai Mall is 5.9 million sq. ft. making it the largest mall in the world. The mall has over 1,200 open shops which cater to every possible shopping need. The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue is the largest collection of fashion brands in one location.
The Dubai Mall has over 150 restaurants to choose from. The mall’s wide selection of restaurants includes cafes, fast food, casual family dining and fine dining. There are dining spots throughout the mall, in a large food court and outside along the waterfront.
Besides the shopping and food there is of course entertainment. There is the SEGA Republic indoor theme park which has two levels and nine them park rides. The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is home to 33,000 animals including 400 sharks and sting rays. There is the Dubai Ice Rink where visitors can learn how to skate and play hockey. What mall would be complete without a movie theater? The Reel Cinema is on level two and has 22 screens.
Outside the Dubai Mall is the Dubai Fountain which is made up of 22 thousand gallons of water and 6,000 lights. It is so large it can be seen over 20 miles away.
Dubai has so many attractions to offer from shopping, dining to entertainment. The city is a world class destination that must be seen to believe.
