While discussing shopping with your family and friends, Dubai is one constant name you will hear multiple times. And the glamorous and lavish country has earned it by all means!
Every year, thousands of tourists from all across the world travel to Dubai to explore its shopping lifestyle. Although many people claim that Dubai is an expensive country and thus, shopping in the malls is going to burn a hole in your pockets, it is not entirely true! Even though the interiors of the malls are quite lavish and most of the brands are high-end and expensive, there are plenty of sales provided by these brands every month! What can get better than shopping from high-end brands at low prices, right?
At the beginning of every year, the country holds a shopping festival known as the Dubai Shopping Festival. There are several offers, discounts, and sales on most brands, making it perfect for everyone to shop for their favourites! You can plan your solo trip to Dubai around such shopping festivals and sales to fulfil all your shopping wishes and also explore the beautiful country.
I have come up with the top 10 malls that you can explore on your solo trip to Dubai. I happened to visit these malls, and trust me, it was a beautiful experience – the size of the malls, exquisite and elegant interior designing is something that can be experienced only in Dubai!
1. The Dubai Mall
When talking about lavish malls in Dubai, how can one not mention The Dubai Mall? It is the world’s largest shopping mall and houses about 1,200 popular brands. The parking space at the mall can accommodate up to 14,000 cars at once! Speaks enough about being the largest mall in the world, right?
In 2010, The Dubai Mall was voted as the mall that offers the best shopping experience in the world! Some of the famous brand stores you can find in the mall are GAP, Prada, Louis Vitton, Gucci, Michael Kors, Bloomingdales, among many others. You will also find all the high-end makeup and skincare brands like M.A.C, Dior, Huda Beauty, LANEIGE, The Face Shop, CharlotteTillbury, Bobbi Brown, and much more in the mall.
Located on the Sheikh Zayed Road in the centre of downtown Dubai, the mall offers plenty of other things to do as well, like visiting the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, 22 movie theatres, and the Indoor VR Theme Park!
If you are a shopaholic, you must definitely check out The Dubai Mall on your solo trip to the country. You will be amazed by the interiors and the numerous shopping sales and offers, just as I was when I first visited the mall on my solo trip.
And if you are already planning for your first solo travel experience in Dubai, do check out my exclusive solo female travel guide to Dubai.
2. Ibn Batuta Mall
Named after one of the famous Arabic explorers in the world – Ibn Batuta, the mall is the world’s largest themed mall. It is located close to Jebel Ali Village and the Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Ibn Batuta Mall houses 270 stores, 50 restaurants, and 45,000 parking areas! There is 21 movie theatres inside the mall
As you enter the mall, you will see the themes in six different countries, namely China, India, Egypt, Tunisia, Persia, and Andalusia. It is believed that Ibn Batuta travelled to these countries in a span of 24 years. He designed the mall in six different themes, each belonging to one of these countries. If you are a history lover, you will find fascinating details related to each country inside the mall!
Some famous shopping stores in the mall include Forever 21, H&M, Carter’s, Debenhams, The Body Shop, and the Paris Gallery!
Other than shopping, you can explore the bowling alley and the trampoline park inside the mall.
3. Dubai Marina Mall
Located in the heart of Dubai’s Marina, this mall is one of the most popular ones in the country. Although a bit smaller in size as compared to other famous malls, Dubai Marina Mall makes up for it with its extravagant interiors and 160 high street shopping stores spread across four levels! Some well-known brands that you can find at the Dubai Marina Mall are H&M, Cos, Monsoon, Pinko, Billabong, Sephora, Diesel, River Island, among many others.
Another plus-point about the Dubai Marina Mall is the numerous dining options with a view of the waterfront! You can visit Zafran, Five Guys, Baskin Robbins, or Carluccio’s for a delicious meal and enjoy the stunning waterfront views.
Being a shopaholic myself, high-end shopping brands during sales seemed like a great opportunity for me, and I ended up shopping quite a bit for myself and my family!
4. Dubai Festival City Mall
Located along the banks of the historic Dubai Creek, Dubai Festival City Mall is famous for its magnificent light shows, among several other things. The mall houses over 400 retail stores for you to shop from. Even though you will find most of the high-end brands at the mall, it is kind of quiet when compared to other malls.
At the Dubai Festival City Mall, you will find the largest Aldo store in the world, an exclusive Ferrari store, one of the biggest IKEA stores in the area, the only Hard Rock Café in the country, and the only Mint Velvet store you will find outside the U.K. Quite interesting, right? If you are a foodie and love trying out different cuisines, you can head to the famous New York restaurant Serendipity located in the mall. To get some Instagram-worthy pictures of food, especially dessert, you can check out the Sugar Factory! Also, do check out my blog on top 15 food to try on your solo trip to Dubai.
Some of the popular shopping outlets you can find in the mall are Zara, GAP, Beverly Hills Polo Club, Mango, among others.
5. Mall of the Emirates
Situated at interchange four on Sheikh Zayed Road, Mall of the Emirates is one of the go-to shopping malls in Dubai. Opened in 2005, the mall has been a favourite among locals and visitors. You will find more than 600 shopping stores and 100+ restaurants and cafes that offer delicious and authentic cuisines!
Additionally, the UAE’s first indoor ski resort and park, known as the Ski Dubai, is also located inside the Mall of the Emirates.
If you are into high-end brands such as Marks & Spencer, Burberry, and Jimmy Choo, the Mall of the Emirates must definitely be on your list of malls to visit in Dubai. Some famous Dubai restaurants available in the mall include Tribes, Texas De Brazil, and Dean & Deluca.
Having read up so much about the Mall of the Emirates, I had decided to visit this mall on my solo trip to Dubai. Honestly, its beauty and development left me awestruck!
6. Wafi Mall
Located on the Oud Metha Road, Wafi Mall is an Egyptian-themed shopping complex developed in the shape of a pyramid! The mall offers its visitors a distinct shopping experience with more than 350 shopping stores. The interiors in the Wafi Mall are designed in papyrus-themed columns and other intrinsic details that are inspired by the legacies of the Pharaohs!
Another attractive feature about the Wafi Mall is the light and sound show that usually takes place in the evenings. If you happen to go on a solo trip to Dubai in December, you can even experience the beautiful mammoth Christmas tree decorations!
As I happened to visit Dubai in the summer season, I could not see the mammoth Christmas tree decorations. However, I did visit the Wafi Mall and was amazed at its elegant and beautiful interior designs and details!
The Wafi Mall is a must-visit mall in Dubai if you love themed malls, as this one is going to take your breath away!
7. Mercato Shopping Mall
Considered one of the most beautiful shopping malls in Dubai, Mercato Shopping Mall is a must-visit. The term Mercato translates to ‘market’ in Italian. You can find the mall in the Jumeirah district of Dubai.
The development of the Mercato Shopping Mall has been inspired by the Italian Renaissance. You can also find a touch of the Mediterranean atmosphere as you wander around this beautiful mall.
Being a fan of different cultures, especially the European and Italian culture, I was quite intrigued to visit the mall since the time I first heard about it. Apart from shopping, I visited some famous restaurants like The Living Room and More Cafe for a quick bite!
8. Burjuman Centre
Since Burj Dubai is the hub of the country, it is obvious the Burjuman Center would be located here. Developed over a massive 2.8 million square-feet space, the mall offers more than 300 high-end retail brand stores. Spread across four floors, the Burjuman Center also has more than 40 restaurants and cafes if you want to stop from your shopping spree for a quick meal!
You may be tempted to blow out all your savings while shopping here as all the popular international brands like Chanel, Dior, Tiffany, Zara, Forever 21, Ralph Lauren, GAP, New Look, Louis Vitton, Paul Smith, DKNY are available for you to explore!
If you wish to watch a movie at the mall, you can head to the VOX cinema. Having been there myself on my solo trip to the country, I found the movie experience quite fascinating, and I am sure you will too!
9. Dubai Outlet Mall
A unique point about the Dubai Outlet Mall is that it is situated on the outskirts of the country. This is the reason why the mall is less crowded compared to other malls in Dubai. What makes the Dubai Outlet Mall a must-visit is the numerous sale options that it provides! All year long, the mall offers around 40-90 percent off on most brands! Isn’t this reason enough to visit the Dubai Outlet Mall?
You will notice the mall getting a bit crowded during sale season, but it is still not too crowded compared to other malls.
Some of the popular brands that you can shop at the Dubai Outlet Mall include Nike, Michael Kors, Guess, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani, Calvin Klein, Temperley, Dolce&Gabbana, Valentino, among several others. Perfect for all the shopaholics and bargain-hunters, I would strongly recommend you visit this mall on your next solo trip to Dubai.
Being a shopaholic myself, I was lucky enough to visit Dubai during the sale season. I got my hands on some of the popular brands with over 50 percent discount! Well, it surely was one of the highlights of my trip to Dubai because who even gets these international brands at such low prices all year long?
10. Dragon Mall Dubai
Popularly known as the Dragon Mart, this Dubai mall is famous among both locals and visitors. Dragon Mart is the largest trading centre of Chinese products outside of China. The mall is designed in the shape of a dragon in 2004. You will find plenty of Chinese products at the mart at wholesale prices from over 4,000 different stores!
The Dragon Mall comprises Dragon Mart 1 and Dragon Mart 2, showcasing pretty much everything that you can think of. The products being at such low prices, you will find the Dragon Mart to be quite crowded. However, it is a popular place for both shopping and dining.
Apart from some skincare products, I did not shop much from this mall. Honestly, the products offered by the numerous stores are quite fascinating. It would be hard for you to stop by and not really buy anything.
Shopping in Dubai is a unique experience in itself. On my solo trip to Dubai, I tried to visit as many malls as I could, and each one turned out better than the last! Watching videos or reading blogs and articles hardly does any justice to actually exploring and shopping in this beautiful country. These are only a few of the malls that I got to visit, but you will find much more when you travel to Dubai. If this blog helped you with your shopping experience in Dubai, please do let me know in the comment section below.
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