The Souk experience in Dubai

Anyone who has been to North Africa or the Middle East will be familiar with the notion of souks, clusters of markets streets or even a covered in area, writes Brian Byrne. In Dubai they tend to be specific to commodities, and are found around the old Deira Creek from which their wares are delivered by modern motor versions of the old sailing dhows.

The particular ones here are the Perfume Souk, the Spice Souk, the Gold Souk, all of them self explanatory and all close together in the Deira neighbourhood that sprang from the original trading port. There's also a covered souk for more general food and household products. Across the Creek in the Bur Dubai aea there's a Souk complex devoted mostly to the textiles business, for both wholesale and individual customers.

It's interesting to see how this business is conducted, generally with each small shop having two or three tables and chairs, the buyer sitting down with the merchant and having samples, or even whole rolls of material brought to them for perusal and discussion. That's the civilised side. Part of the original Bur Dubai covered souk has been completely restored, and that's where the tourists are directed. And there it's very much a case of running the gauntlet.



Most of the goods along here are scarves and other textile products, and the salespeople are very much in your face trying to get your attention, and your dirhams. Calls of 'big boss' or 'beautiful lady', 'come here and see my collection' resound. But they get into personal space too, throwing a pashmina scarf over a woman's shoulders, plucking at the men's clothing, all the time trying to get you to interact. It's very uncomfortable, and I can't help thinking it's counterproductive, because you don't want to stop and look, or they'll be all over you. Of course, that's the thrill for some people, I suppose, the chase for the best bargain.



It's a similar experience in most of the other specialist souks, though once you get away from the outer lanes and streets in each, it becomes less strident. I noticed that local people and families, in their Emirati traditional dress, weren't solicited in the same way.

It's colourful, though. And noisy. Be aware, though, that while you might fancy yourself as a haggler, these guys do it for a living. They're always going to come out at the level of profit they have determined, and most likely more besides.

Mind boggling shopping and dancing fountains

As part of their plan to make Dubai one of the biggest tourism and financial hubs of the world, the rulers of the emirate have been spending big on big things, writes Brian Byrne.

The tallest building in the world, for instance. The Burj Khalifa. More than half a kilometre tall, with over a thousand luxury residences spread through its height. The highest viewing platform in the world (though there are a couple of contenders for these related titles currently a-building). The observation lounges at levels 125 and 148 have personally escorted visits and complimentary refreshments, and are akin to flying First Class.

The literally 'shop till you drop' experience of the Dubai Mall in the complex near the bottom of the tower. It has the most shops of any mall in the world (naturally), and opens until midnight each day. All the big stores of the world are there, from Bloomingdales to Hamley's of London toy store. In the afternoon and evening it's jammers.



Part of the Dubai Mall experience is the 'dancing' fountains outside it, which 'perform' to music each evening from 6pm to 11pm. A fantastic choreography of waterspouts and curtains, running two to three minutes every half hour.

In the Mall itself there's a full ice hockey pitch where regular serious games are played and which can be watched while looking over the railings around two floors. There's also a large aquarium through two floors in the centre of the complex, with a serious collection of fish, including manta rays and shark. For a small fee, you can walk in a tunnel through it to an underwater zoo, amongst the denizens of which is a giant crocodile.

Restaurants abound throughout the four floors of the mall, from standard fast food courts to high-class gastronomic venues. Especially popular in the evenings are the ones which face out onto the esplanade around the lake of the dancing fountains.

But it's all about shopping really, and providing a place of leisure to encourage walking and browsing. A place to bring the whole family — and the local people do, certainly the wealthy ones. There's a complete 'street' devoted to shops for children, especially clothing.

Overall, the sheer scale of it can be almost scary. And on the matter of scale, while the metro is the easiest way to get to the complex, be aware that it's a good half-hour walk to the mall itself, albeit on an air-conditioned walkway with travelators like you get in airports, only on a much, much longer scale.

Naturally.