Shopping in Dubai, top places to visit - for retail therapy

Possibly the world's largest shopping mall, the Dubai Mall comprises of over 1,200 stores, making it a small city. Providing a complete shopping experience, this mall also features a spectacular four-storey waterfall, indoor ice rink, aquarium, a gigantic dinosaur skeleton, theme parks and over 150 food outlets. The elegantly finished mall showcases many top-end brands from US and Europe including Galleries Lafayaette, Bloomingdale's and Hamley's Toy Store. Another attraction at the Dubai Mall is the amazing fountain which is designed to beautifully move in sync with music. Luxury resorts such as PER AQUUM Hotels & Resorts place you within close proximity to the Dubai Mall and other key shopping destinations in the city.

Yet another of the city's humongous malls, MOE was named World's Leading New Shopping Mall in 2005. It showcases close to 650 retail stores, of which 80 are luxury stores and 250 are flagship outlets. Along with 100s of cafes and restaurants, the mall also features the Middle East's' first indoor ski resort and snow park, 14-screen VOX cinema, Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre with a seating capacity of 500 and Magic Plant, which happens to be one of the biggest indoor entertainment centres for families. Stores include Centrepoint, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols, Home Centre, Carrefour, Marks & Spencer and Jashanmal to name a few.

If you are looking to purchase exotic textiles and fabrics, Bur Dubai Souk is the venue to head to. Showcasing countless collections of textiles from India and the Far East, Bur Dubai runs alongside the Dubai Creek. Unlike the malls of Dubai the souk is not visually appealing, but offers amazing deals on spectacular textiles. There are many jewellery stores, saree shops and tailoring shops in the region too.

This is the ideal venue if you are on the lookout for gift items and bargain shopping. Imitation items, knockoffs, handicrafts and souvenirs aplenty, Karama Shopping Centre is great to stop by to buy mementos for your friends and family back home. Most of the clothing available here are from Asia.

Designed modelling ancient Egypt, Wafi Mall is one of Dubai's older malls. However, its appearance and architecture are nothing short of amazing. Its highlights are the stained glass pyramids and vast dome. However, Wafi Mall is quite less crowded when compared to its newer counterparts. Even today, this mall is one of the best in the city to purchase handicrafts of the Arabian world. The Souk Khan Murjan at the basement of the mall has an amazing collection of lamps and other artefacts that make superb souvenirs. The mall is also home to Wafi Gourmet, Dubai's most sought after deli counter.

The street is filled with a vast array of stores retailing computers, laptops, cameras, mobile phones and even household electronic items. Since Dubai is tax-free, you will spend much less to purchase these items than anywhere else in the world. Just be sure to ask for an international warranty when buying.