Dubai is globally famous for its luxurious shopping malls. One can hardly keep their shopaholic self inside themselves upon visiting the country. You can get almost anything in Dubai, from jewellery to clothes, from gold to heavenly-smelling perfumes, from home decor to electronics, the country has everything.
Dubai has plenty of shopping options for you to choose from. Apart from the luxurious malls, you can also check out the street bazaars to buy things at an affordable price.
I have come up with a list of 15 unique souvenir ideas for you to consider on your solo trip to Dubai. After all, is a solo trip really complete without bringing back home a few souvenirs?
1. Attar
Who doesn’t love smelling good, right? And what better product than an attar to gift as a unique souvenir from Dubai to your loved ones?
History reveals that Arabic women in the olden days used to perfume themselves using intensely smelling oils (now known as attar). Even now, as you walk past most Arabic women, you will get a strong whiff of intense perfume.
In Dubai, the attar is made by distilling flower petals in water under mild pressure and heat to get the right texture and extracts. The slow process is what makes them so exotic!
The intense fragrance of attar is available in different fragrances such as white musk, rose, sandalwood, among many others. The best destination to purchase attar is the Perfume Souk located on Sikkat Al-Khail Street. Here, you will find various sizes and shapes of attar. And even better, if you have a particular fragrance in mind with different ingredients, you can tell the seller, and they will get it ready for you!
2. Perfume Stands and Holders
Dubai’s perfumes and attars are world-famous. Many people visit Dubai and take back many attars and perfumes as souvenirs with them. To store these exotic perfumes, one would need a stand or holder that matches the perfumes. This is why there are plenty of classic perfume stands and holders available in many shopping markets in Dubai. Most importantly, these stands and holders are made from glass and crystal to give them a stunning appearance.
You will find these in different sizes, colours and materials. Many of the stands come in a base covered in gold-toned liquid with delicate designs engraved on it. You can select your favourite stand according to the perfume you have purchased. If you have the budget, you can even purchase these that come with semi-precious stones embellished on them!
To find some beautiful stands and holders, you need not go too far. You can find them in the Perfume Souk or at Al Nabeel Perfumes & Cosmetics Showroom.
3. Lanterns
If you are looking to buy some decorative things for your house, then lanterns would be a great home decor item to invest in. The lanterns sold in Dubai are made with mirrors and glass, which give them a beautiful and classy look. One of my personal favourite types of the lantern is the one made with copper and tin. I purchased it on my solo trip to Dubai, and it has made my living room even more aesthetic!
Many lanterns will also have several intricate ornaments on them. Some also have the metal and glass placed onto the design in such a way that it forms a crisscross when you light it up. These tiny details are what make lanterns a great and unique souvenir from Dubai.
You can find pretty lanterns at Homes R Us, Dragon Mart, or Karama. Before you purchase a lantern, make sure it is neatly packed so that you can avoid any risk of damage during transport.
4. Coffee Sets and Kava Pots
You all must be knowing what coffee is, but not kava. It is acid neutralized pure coffee! Kava is quite famous among locals and is one of their main beverages to have throughout the day. Owing to its exquisite flavour and preference by the Arabs, different types of cups and pots are used to serve it.
The kava cups are mostly made with glass and lined with silver-toned or gold-toned details. Some expensive kava cups even have elegant designs and details along with semi-precious stones on them.
Although you may not really feel like investing in something like cups and pots for beverages when you can get basic mugs and cups at a retail store, trust me, these are worth buying. Not only are these cups and pots stunning, but they will also add value to your beverage sets. You can also gift them to your loved ones on special occasions. You can buy them from the Mall of the Emirates or any souvenir shop in other shopping malls.
5. Arabic Carpets
Considered to be one of the most unique souvenirs from Dubai, Arabic carpets are famous worldwide. These beautiful carpets come in different shapes, sizes, and colours. Most carpets come in earthy tones, such as darker hues of brown, red, and tan, which make them a perfect home decor item. To further enhance their beauty, the carpets have intricate designs and elements on them.
You can find both handmade and machine-manufactured carpets in Dubai. I would recommend you buy the handmade ones. I purchased two handmade Arabic carpets on my solo trip to Dubai. The quality is top-notch, and they fit well with my house theme!
The best place to buy Arabic carpets is the National Iranian Carpets store at the Souq Medina Jumeriah. You will get plenty of designs and materials to choose from.
6. Jewel Chest
If you are obsessed with pieces of jewellery the way I am, then you will love these beautiful jewel chests. These make a great souvenir that you can either use for yourself or gift someone. The jewel chests are made with sandalwood and further enhanced with brass, silver, and semi-precious stones.
There are plenty of options for you to choose from, including designs from the Bedouin era or the Burj Khalifa. You can find the beautiful jewel chests at BurJuman Shopping Center, Dubai Gold Souq, or other jewellery stores.
7. Dried Dubai Dates
Dates are an important part of Middle Eastern cuisine. They also hold special importance during the holy month of Ramadan, where dates are given to friends and family members as gifts and eaten to break a fast at sunset.
Along with being extremely delicious, dates are considered to be a great source of essential nutrients and vitamins. Dates make a healthy and great souvenir for your loved ones. You can buy these in bulk and get offers as well.
If you want to buy fresh and delicious dates, you can head to the Bateel shop. The shop has over 20 different varieties of dates for you to choose from!
8. Camel Milk Chocolate
Got a sweet tooth? Then these camel milk chocolates are perfect for you. The chocolates are a true home-grown delicacy in the country. There are five chocolate variants for you to choose from – whole milk, dates, 70 percent cocoa, spiced macadamia.
Initially, these chocolates were only available in Dubai. Now, the companies have expanded their business overseas, and you can find them in different European and Asian countries as well. But buying something from their home country is a different feeling in itself, which is why I would recommend you buy the camel milk chocolates from Al Nassma kiosks available in different Dubai malls, including The Palm, The Dubai Mall, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, Emirates Towers Hotel among others!
On my solo trip to Dubai, I got five packages of camel milk chocolates for my friends and family back home. And trust me, they loved them as much as I did. This indeed turned out to be one of their most favourite souvenirs I got for them from my solo trip to the country.
9. Pashmina Shawls
Real pashmina shawls are quite expensive as they are made from the hair of goats in South Asia. To produce a soft and smooth shawl, the cashmere (goat hair) is often mixed with 30 percent of silk.
Pashmina shawls will be a great souvenir for women who are close to you. However, make sure you’re buying an authentic shawl because there are so many fake ones out in the market!
If you do not have the budget for a real pashmina shawl, you can buy the silk variant. It is extremely soft as well and will work as a substitute for pashmina shawls.
Textile Souk is my favourite place to buy pashmina shawls. I got one on my solo trip to Dubai for my mother as she loves wearing shawls, and it seemed like the perfect gift for her!
10. Quran Stands
All Muslim households in Dubai have at least one Quran stand to keep the holy book away from the ground. If you belong to the religion Islam, you can invest in these Quran stands. These stands will not only keep the holy book away from the ground (which serves the main purpose) but also add an aesthetic look to your room.
The base of these stands is intricately designed, similar to those that are found on the Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. As the Ka’aba holds great importance in every Muslim’s life, the Quran stand will be a great souvenir to take home from Dubai.
The perfect place to buy elegant and beautiful Quran stands is the Al Abbes Islamic Books shop. They have the Quran stands in different shapes and designs, perfect for you to make a choice at your convenience. You can also check out the Makkah Islamic Book Center for some good quality Quran stands.
11. Lucky Stones
If you believe in lucky stones bringing you luck, you can invest in them. The stones are usually inlaid in ornaments such as pendants or rings. The variety of designs and sizes offered will spoil you for choices! The best part about lucky stones is you can gift them to both men and women.
You can select the lucky stone based on your birthday month. You can head to the Gold & Diamond Park or Pearlicious in Covent Garden to buy them.
12. Hookah
You will find a hookah almost in every Arab household. It is kept as a decorative piece in some houses, whereas in others, it is served as a refreshing indulgence when a group of friends meets at home.
Hookahs in Dubai are made up of a long hose, and some of their bases come with 12-carat gold, making them a perfect gift for a loved one. There is a variety of hookahs that come with two pipes as well.
To buy a hookah, you can visit Carrefour Hyper Market or Karama Souq and choose the one that fits your needs best.
13. Gold Jewellery
Gold is one of the precious souvenirs that you can get from Dubai. Also, it costs lesser than compared to other countries and cities. Gold jewellery will make a perfect gift for someone special in your life.
I would highly recommend you check out the Dubai Gold Souk for some great jewellery at a reasonable price.
14. Spices
Many may not consider spices a souvenir. However, I would say spices are a great way of bringing back home a part of Dubai. The exotic Dubai spices come in aromatic aromas to make your meal flavourful.
The one-stop for buying spices in Dubai is the Spice Souk. You will find many rare spices here that you cannot find in other places outside of the United Arab Emirates. Gift these exotic spices to someone who loves cooking and see their face light up with happiness!
You can check out this blog to know more about the Dubai Spice Souk.
15. Arabian Coffee
Arabian coffee is famous for its strong aroma and divine taste. If you are a coffee lover, I would recommend you take home a couple of coffee packets with you. This is another way of taking home the flavours of Dubai with you.
You can buy Arabian coffee at Dubai Souks or the Dubai Coffee Museum.
These are some of the very few unique souvenirs Dubai has to offer you. As you explore the beautiful country, you may even come across other unique souvenirs to bring back home as well!
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