M – Malls Of Dubai | #AtoZChallenge

M – Malls of Dubai | #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z

Dubai is famous for many of the World’s ‘largest’ and ‘biggest’ things and is equally rated as one of the top shopping destinations in the world. With modern cosmopolitan global cities, shopping and malls go hand in hand, which makes Dubai home to many of the world’s largest malls. In total, it has more than 40 places that qualify as shopping malls.
Dubai Mall
It is the second-largest mall in the world by total land area and is one of the world’s most visited shopping and entertainment destinations that welcome in excess of 100 mn visitors in a year. It is a part of the Downtown Dubai area with more than 1000 retail outlets. Some of the biggest names include; Topshop and Zara, and department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Galeries Lafayette.

Inside of Dubai Mall

It is also home to some of the major attractions in Dubai – like the entrance to Burj Khalifa, The Underwater aquarium and zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, Kidzania, Reel Cinemas with 22 screens, VR Park Dubai, Rain Forest Café, Hysteria, Dubai Fountain and Souk Al Bahar.
It has connectivity with the metro through the Dubai Mall metro station.
Mall of the Emirates
Mall of the Emirates or MOE as it is famous in Dubai is another huge shopping mall in UAE. There has always been a debate about which among the both has a bigger shopping space. MOE is the place where you can find snow in the middle of the desert – Ski Dubai is a fun and adventure place for everyone especially kids.
With more than 600 retail outlets and 100 restuarants, it is one of the leading shopping destinations in Dubai. Some of the major attractions include – Magic Planet – one of the largest indoor family entertainment centers in Dubai, Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre and Vox cinemas with 14 screens. The famous restaurants are Tribes, Salero Tapas and Bodega and The Cheesecake Factory.
One can take a metro ride to reach the MOE.
Ibn Battuta Mall
Ibn Battuta is the world’s largest themed shopping mall and is named after the famous 14th-century explorer with the same name. In a way, this mall is a tribute to the travels of Ibn Battuta. There are six major courts whose designs are inspired by the regions he traveled – Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China.
It is one of those malls that you can visit even if you are in no mood to shop. For travellers, it is a must and is my personal favorite because of the amazing detailed interiors of each court. You can find plenty of backgrounds to get clicked. It is also home to Dubai’s only Imax along with 21 other screens.
It is situated at the end of Dubai towards Abu Dhabi and has good metro connectivity.
Festival City Mall
Festival city mall is situated on the banks of the iconic Dubai Creek and it is one of the largest malls in Dubai. Just like Ibn Battuta Mall one can travel to the Festival City Mall for entertainment and leisure. There is an amazing fire and light show that takes place on the waterfront after the sunset. One can also enjoy the show from any one of the restaurants that silver line the waterfront.
The Festival city area is like a ‘City-within-a-city’ and you can find Dubai’s only IKEA there. Don’t miss Ikea’s sumptuous breakfast at a reasonable cost. The mall has the largest Aldo store on the planet and the only Mint Velvet outside the UK. The rock lovers can head straight up to Hard Rock Café – the only in UAE.
It is not connected via metro, hence a taxi is a best-preferred option.
Wafi Mall
Wafi Mall is another themed mall in the heart of the city and its styles are based on Ancient Egypt where you will find architecture reminiscent of Karnak, small pyramids, and images of pharaohs. It is a quieter mall compared to other malls in terms of foot-fall and makes it a perfect place if you are heading for a meeting over a coffee.
It also an immersive light and laser show in the evening depicting the era of pyramids. The place also has some of the best restaurant options in the whole of Dubai. Khan Murjan, an underground souk is famous for Arabic souvenirs.
Dubai Outlet Mall
As the name suggests, you will find factory outlets of all the major brands here. During my stay, I would regularly pay a visit to it to grab on some amazing offers which may range from 30% to 90%. It is a shoppers’ paradise with the location being its only drawback. It is located on the Al Ain Road and would take roughly around 30 min from the city to reach.
Make sure you visit on Mondays as they have extra offers on them. No direct connectivity with metro.
Mercato Mall
Mercato mall is a themed mall whose architecture takes you to the Italian Renaissance era. This mall is famous for its eateries and bakeries like Cakery Epicerie by Stephane Glacier and Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar for the city’s creamiest hot chocolate
Burjuman Centre
It has a long history and has the best location of all the malls – right in the heart of Bur Dubai. It has great metro connectivity with both the metro lines and you will find a taxi at any point of the day. Close to some of the main office locations it is the best place for a quick lunch getaway.
If you are staying in JLT, JBR and Dubai Marina then Dubai Marina Mall is the answer to all your shopping needs. Similarly, if you living near Mirdif and Deira then you can head to the Mirdif City Centre and Deira City Centre respectively.
Some of the other famous malls are DragonMart in International City, The Village Mall, The Beach and the famous City Walk.
Tips:
When going for a movie try for the smaller malls, as the chances of getting tickets are high there.
Do check out the location of malls as you may find one just next to you as there are so many of them.
Parking can be a huge issue on the weekend. Always note your location and drop the SMS for parking.
Carry a water bottle.
If you love shopping…then you will love Dubai…and its Malls.
For all those who love shopping,
For all those great at bargaining,
For all those who like discounts,
And
For all those who are always found in Malls…
It’s not a goodbye,
But it’s a GOOD BYE.
Manas ‘Sameer’ Mukul
This is the 13th post for the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme in Travel Category is ‘Dubai – the City of Gold’, where I would be covering everything about the city in the course of 26 posts.
Read the Previous post here: Dubai – City of Gold
Please do visit tomorrow for the next post with the letter ‘N’
I am also taking part in the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z using another theme –‘IPL – Indian Parliamentary League’. If you are keen on following key issues pertaining to the upcoming General Elections head over to the Politics Theme and share your feedback.