Some 30 years ago in the territory of the United Arab Emirates it was possible to buy unless the products of folk handicrafts, such as rugs, daggers and statuettes, national clothes and food products .No one could even imagine that where the sandy wind drove the dried balls of the rolling fields across the expanses of the Arabian deserts, the urban giants of the shopping malls, flooded with all conceivable and unimaginable goods, will grow..And although patterned carpets, exquisite jugs and hotbaby slippers are still in demand among fans of oriental things, the main tourist shopping formula of the UAE is high-profile brands, plus the widest choice, plus large discounts .Add to this the emirate's ability to turn any event into a holiday, and it becomes clear that the temptation to part with money in the UAE will not hold even the most incorrigible scooters .

Places

Unconditional leaders in shopping issues - the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah .From them, Abu Dhabi does not fall behind .In other emirates, too, there will be enough all kinds of gizmos that will certainly want to give shelter under the roof of their homes, so if you are vacationing, for example, in Ras Al Khaimah, this is not a reason to ignore local markets and shopping centers .To make purchases in the Emirates can be in a grandfather's way - bargaining in shops on city streets and civilized - in shopping malls .By the way, even in fixed price boutiques, it's not shameful to ask about the last fixed price or the best fixed price - in most cases, a discount will be provided immediately (of course, one should have common sense and not try to double the price of a gold necklace with foam at the mouth) .Do not forget about pleasant surprises in the face of free economic zones (for example, in the port of Abu Dhabi) and all our favorite airport duty free: the world's largest duty-free shop is located at Dubai airport..Rather for impressions than shopping, go to the famous eastern bazaars - the Green and Fish markets in Abu Dhabi, the Carpet Market on the coastal Mina Port Road, and the Textile Bazaar and the Gold Market in Sharjah .Read also about the most attractive shopping places in Dubai..

Goods

The absolute majority of items purchased in the UAE are products of world famous brands: clothing and accessories, footwear, cosmetics and perfumes, watches and jewelry, interior items .All this is abundantly represented in numerous emirate malls .Talk about the assortment in this context is not particularly needed: any brand that came to your mind will be guaranteed to be sold in the UAE .Another aspect of local shopping (as in any other country in the world) - endemic gimmicks, the national pride of the Emirates .First of all, these are gold products and gold bars .Ornaments are mostly made of 18- and 22-carat gold (corresponding to Russian 750 ° and 917 °, respectively), and 24-carat products (99, 9% of precious metal) are also found .Among the ingots the most popular are kilogram, but you can buy and modest mini-brusochki .Another local shopping chip - spices and aromatic essences, including the best Somali frankincense - $ .Finally, we mention the precious oriental carpets, fine silk fabrics, chased and copper products .And as souvenirs from the UAE, you can bring Arab coffee pots and hookahs, boxes for jewelry, products made from camel wool and richly decorated khanzhary - traditional Arabian daggers .

Events

Emirates would not be Emirates, if they did not organize on the ground of shopping diverse and many-sided festivals .The most famous event is the Dubai Trade Festival, which takes place every year from the end of January to the end of February in the same emirate .What entertainment is not offered to the audience: performances and folklore evenings, performances of circus artists and shows with animals, as well as a variety of activities for children: tricks, games and contests..Every year there are loud premieres: colorful light-musical shows and old carnivals .Within a month, discounts on goods and services in malls in Dubai reach 60-70% .Those who missed the Dubai shopping festival this year, do not despair: there is still the opportunity to get to another, no less ambitious and fun, event - the Dubai Festival "Summer Surprises", which in 2011 will be held from June 22 to July 31 ( by the way, already in the 14th time) .More than 50 mills in Dubai will reduce prices for their goods almost twice, in addition a lot of cultural and entertainment events are planned to be $ ±.You can find out the dates and programs of Dubai festivals on the website of Dubai Events .Trade festivals are also held in Abu Dhabi Shopping Festival and Ramadan Shopping Festival .