- Dubai Shopping Festival is the best time for deals and discount offers.
- Outlet Mall is a factory outlet mall with many international and local brands having their factory outlet stores, with discounts going upto 70 %. The best day to go is a Monday, as they is additional offers on Monday.
- Factory outlets for brands such as Giordano, Adidas & other brands are available in the city (Search for Factory outlets in the shopping section of Travex
- Best deals on branded luggage bags are available at Carrefour Supermarkets
- GITEX is the best time for electronic shopping
- A lot of beauty, bath and fashion products are sold at discount prices at the Ramadan Night Market every year during Ramadan
- Avoid buying souvenirs from malls. The best place to buy souvenirs would be at market places such as Al Karama, Diera, and also a few warehouses in Al Quoz.
- Top souvenir must buys would be gold, Arabic perfume, Dates, Spices and Dry fruits, Camel Milk Chocolate, Shisha, Arabic antiques and probably a local designer dress.
After a mind-numbing dose of mega malls, mega hotels and mega marinas in Dubai, it will indeed be a refreshing change to experience the ambience of an ancient bazaar, not much different than the way it used to be in the stories of 1001 Arabian nights. The Dubai Spice Souk, also known as the Deidra Souk, is a place that brims with spices, herbs, perfumes, tea and more; everything is laid out in old and authentic settings on the myriad streets and lanes. What began as a trading settlement in the riverside hub of Deidra centuries ago has today become an international attraction nestled in an ultra-modern city. Its appeal lies in the fact that the Souk continues to preserve its traditional personality and the hustle bustle, replete with the sights, smells and the Arabian chatter.
A feast for the eyes as well as the nose, the Deidra Souk is the place where you will find every imaginable spice in the world showcased in traditional wooden vats with metal rings around them. The lanes and by lanes have small, roofless stalls competing with big, air-conditioned stores on either side. The list of spices you can buy here is almost endless, but a few selected, must-buy ones include cardamom, cinnamon, clove, saffron, nutmeg, rosemary, vanilla, black pepper, paprika, cilantro, curry powder, dried lemons and of course, dry date fruits; it is also a great place to pick up traditional Arabian perfumes and incenses like the Attar and Bakhoor. The Deidra Souk is not only about spices - curios, local handmade rugs, artefacts, souvenirs, home decor items, shawls, perfumes, incense, shoes, clothes and even accessories can be found in plenty. Like any old-world market, an essential part of buying at the Souk is the haggling on the price. Hold out sufficiently long in the exchange of offers and counter-offers and you are sure to end up with a very good bargain.
The Deidra Souk is located on the Sikkat Al Khail Road in the locality of Al Ras and the most interesting way to reach the Deidra Souk is to take a dhow boat across the creek; if you are hard-pressed for time, you can take a taxi to the Deira suburb, approximately 12 kms north from Downtown Dubai. Alternately, you can take the Metro, get down at the Ras station and walk a few meters to reach the Spice Souk.
