Dubai loves to shop. The city has
just about perfected the art of the mall. Dubai is considered as a shopper’s
paradise. Dubai is one of the most popular shopping capitals of the world. The
shopaholics from around the world visit Dubai for shopping, even they route
their flight through Dubai for shopping only; there is something for everyone
to buy in the UAE. Bargains abound but you do need to know where to look.
Carpets
The city of Dubai is the paradise
for carpet lovers. Most popular ones are fine Persian carpets, Kurdish kilims,
colorful Turkish and rough-knotted Bedouin rugs. You will find very fine
quality carpets at good prices. Well you have to do some bargaining. There are
hundreds and thousands of choices to choose from. Quality of these rugs is
mostly judged by the method used to process wool. You should know how the wool
was treated to make a rug or carpet. If a rug is made with acid-treated wool,
it will not look as rich after some years as it was when you bought it. On the
other hand, rugs made by proper treatment of wool last for years and don’t lose
their color and shine.
Gold
You should visit the famous GoldSouk to buy gold. Here you can find all types of gold jewelry in different
shades like yellow, pink, green etc. Dubai sells and imports huge amount of
gold. Once you walk around Gold Souk, you will come to know that it indeed
deserves this title. You will find row upon row of shops with dazzling displays
of gold jewellery in every conceivable design and purity: Eighteen- and 22-carat
are common, but 24-karat is also available, although the deep yellow hue of the
high-carat jewellery is not to everyone’s taste. If you wish you can also
purchase kilo bars, ten tola bars, small minted bars and gold bullion bars. The
basic cost of the gold is set by weight daily – check the daily prices in the
local newspapers.
Khanjars
One can find beautiful khanjars
here. Khanjars are the curved dagger of
Islamic countries. Usually the handles of khanjars were made from the horns of
rhino but these days handles made of wood are also very common. The general
khanjars contains 2 rings in which the belt is attached and its scabbards are
beautifully adorned with silver wire. The difficulty of these silver
wired-thread patterns determines the cost of the khanjars. However, the Sayidi
khanjars consists of 5 rings and are mostly covered n silver sheet with very
less or no wire. The costs of these khanjars are determined by its weight and
craftsmanship.
Pashminas
Fakes are found all over the
world, but in Dubai you’ll find bargains on real, silky-soft 100% pashmina
shawls. Women around the world adore pashminas, those feather-light cashmere
shawls worn by the Middle East’s best-dressed ladies. If you’re shopping for a
girlfriend or your mother, you can never go wrong with a pashmina. They come in
hundreds of colors and styles, some beaded and embroidered others with pompom
edging – you’ll have no trouble finding one you like.
But aside from setting it alight
to make sure it doesn’t melt (as polyester does), how can you be sure it’s
real? Here’s the trick. Hold the fabric at its corner. Loop your index finger
around it and squeeze hard. Now pull the fabric through. If it’s polyester, it
won’t budge. If it’s cashmere, it’ll pull through – though the friction may give
you a mild case of rope burn. Try it at home with a thin piece of polyester
before you hit the shops; then try it with cashmere. You’ll never be fooled
again.
Perfume
Every conceivable perfume is
available in the UAE. Large perfume stores sell all the Western brands at very
good prices. Smaller shops in the souqs stock local perfumes, a fragrant mix of
Arabian oil blended to suit your requirements, but beware they are strong! You
can also purchase incense such as frankincense.
Food Items
Some foodstuffs are also popular
here which you should buy. These include cardamom flavored condensed milk which
tastes great in coffee. Natco rose syrup is also a specialty which is often
poured over ice cream. You should also buy saffron as it is cheaper here in
Dubai. Zataar is also used in soups and salads so buy this. Zataar is actually
made of thyme, sesame, oregano and marjoram. Sumac is also a food item. It is
actually a spice having lemon like taste. Buy this and add it in salads, kebabs
and other Middle Eastern dishes.
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