Europe & Beyond

How to spend your time at Dubai International Airport

Previous airport guides include and Zurich and Abu Dhabi and

With around 5,600 flights to Dubai each week, operated by almost 100 different airlines to more than 200 different destinations across all six continents, Dubai airport is busy and thriving. With a reputation for sleek and modern design, and a fantastic shopping experience, this is one airport where you may want to arrive early, and perhaps won’t be too disappointed if your flight from Dubai is a little delayed.

Shopping

Dubai is famous for its shopping, and no less so than at the airport’s award-winning Dubai Duty Free shop. Established in 1983 by Dubai’s Government, the duty free shop was the first of its kind in the Middle East. Since then it has won more than 70 international awards, and remains the leader in airport shopping.

It is the largest single airport retail operation in the world, ahead of London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon airports. The merchandise is spread over some 5,400 square metres of floor space, including areas for cosmetics, jewellery, electronics, alcohol, luxury goods, sports equipment, designer clothing, tobacco products, toys and books.

Womens clothing, in particular short dresses, skirts and boutique lingeire, has had some controversy with western retailers introducing fashions that are being slowly accepted by the Emirates.  Each year sees new ranges of designer dresses and lingerie carefully displayed to appeal to shoppers but have low impact on local travellers.

Customer reviews suggest that while not too inflated, prices aren’t quite as low as you might hope — but that the sheer range of goods on offer more than make up for this.

For most destinations, anything that you buy after security control can be taken on board the aircraft, including bottled drinks, wines and spirits, perfumes and cosmetics. If you’re transferring to another flight before you reach your final destination, particularly within the EU, your purchases will be placed within a sealed plastic bag. If you are transferring within the USA or Canada you need to put any purchases containing more than 100 ml in your hand luggage before you check in for your connecting flight. You can’t take any liquids of more than 100 ml in hand luggage on flights to Australia.

And if you’re still left with any doubt about Dubai’s fascination for airport shoppers, it won the ‘Best Duty Free Shopping’ title in 2009′s World Airport Awards, based on the opinions of 8.6 million airline passengers across 190 airports worldwide in 2008/9.

Recreation

If you’re all shopped out, there are other, more relaxing facilities at the airport where you can while away some time before your flight.

Firstly, there are two open-air garden areas where you can stroll around and get some fresh air. And within the international transit area of the interconnected Terminals 1 and 2, there are internet facilities, a gym, a swimming pool, video games, prayer rooms, and spa facilities.

The airport also has various lounge areas, some of which contain children’s play facilities, while others have screens showing film, sport and news channels.

Eating

Dubai International Airport is home to more than 25 different food and drink establishments, ranging from the likes of Starbucks selling coffee and quick snacks, to elegant bistros selling more elaborate cuisine. There is even a place serving up traditional Irish pub fare, which seems rather incongruous, as well as more obvious choices such as Lebanese, Indian and Chinese cuisine. Safar, the main restaurant in the concourse, is split up into three sections: Pint 19, which is the bar area; a buffet section; and an a la carte restaurant with an open kitchen, offering international cuisine. You can also find fast food places such as McDonald’s and pizzerias. In short: you won’t go hungry, even if you’re the fussiest of eaters.

For more information about Dubai International Airport, visit www.dubaiairport.com

Why do so many want to do Dubai down?

It is far less vulgar than many cities – most notably Las Vegas and yet where are the criticisms there?

The opening of the tallest building in the world has been met by more sneering comments about Dubai.

Is the Burj Dubai so more outrageous than the excesses of the Empire State Building or Petronas Towers of their time?

Why Dubai?

What almost all appear to fail to see is that there is a raison d’etre for Dubai as a regional centre. Dubai is now the commercial, business, transport and tourism centre and fast becoming the major health care and education centre for a population of over 1.5 billion. Name another city that can compete in a region that spreads from the Arabian Gulf / Other Middle Eastern from Iran to Jordan / Indian Subcontinent / and North Africa and even for Southern Africa and certain parts of Eastern Europe. Airliness operating flights to Dubai saw a niche and has used its limited oil wealth to take advantage and provide something beyond oil for the future. Singapore was borne out of its strategic location and political fortitude as a regional centre for the Near Far East serving as a centre for such countries as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Dubai’s reach as a regional hub is hugely greater.
No other city in its region can compete with its infrastructure and dynamism. Many major multi nationals and other companies now use Dubai as their business base. So yes it went too far too fast with certain excesses and is paying some consequences. There has for sure been great vision but the country is but 38 years old and mistakes have been made. Surely, balanced observers can see that its strategy is
fundamentally sound and will in the medium term be a continued success.
Who gets is right all the time? The country is only 38 years old.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi together will develop further to become the Regional hub of the vast region they have only just began to serve. Analysts will soon get over the current hyperbole and start to realise the future opportunities.

Shopping in Abu Dhabi

A quick guide for partners of Formula 1 fans who are being dragged along to the final race of the F1 season – the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and want to make the most of their visit to the UAE rather than watch speeding cars and drivers battling for positions in the 2009 F1 title – the running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a little pointless some argue – the world title already having been claimed by Jenson Buttox when he ambled across the line in Brazil.

From manic local souqs to sprawling modern malls, Abu Dhabi is well-established as a shopper’s paradise — particularly for gold jewellery, perfume and designer clothes, dresses and even lingerie.

Abu Dhabi Airport Shopping

The award-winning Abu Dhabi Duty Free shop at the airport is the obvious place to look for big brand names. Spread over an area of 5000 square metres, the shop sells a huge range of perfumes at duty free prices as well as cosmetics, watches, jewellery, clothes, music, electronic items, toys and books.

For many tourists shopping is the main purpose of their visit, and they’re not afraid to run up an alarmingly large credit card bill in the process. But if you don’t have a bottomless supply of cash, is it also still possible to grab yourself a bargain, or are prices in Abu Dhabi no cheaper than in the UK or Europe?

Bargain shopping

If you’re looking for a bargain, you have to choose where you shop very carefully. The more traditional souqs in the Al Meena area are well worth exploring if you want to see local produce on sale at reasonable prices.

Al Meena is best known for its wide range of carpets and Persian rugs, alongside many other items such as antiques, colourful fabrics, spices, and traditionally-designed jewellery, with lots of small shops packed into the alleyways. If you plan to buy a Persian rug, make sure you do a bit of homework before you shop; there are machine made carpets alongside handmade ones, so you need to know what to look out for.

Traders will expect you to bargain over prices, so wear your haggling hat if you visit the souqs. And when you find yourself flagging, take a pew at one of the coffee shops selling robust Arabic coffee to recharge your batteries.

The Hamed Centre is another lower-budget shopping complex with a wide range of outlets selling cheaper items including Arabic music, jewellery and reasonably-priced casual clothes.

Luxury shopping

If like many visitors to Abu Dhabi you’re less concerned about price and more concerned about luxury and choice, head for the city’s more glamorous shopping malls such as the glitzy Marina Mall and famous Abu Dhabi Mall.

Abu Dhabi Mall

Abu Dhabi Mall is one of the city’s best known complexes, housing more than 220 outlets selling international and local brands of clothes, make-up, perfumes, books, household furnishings, electrical goods, gifts, health foods, and just about any other products you can think of – even luxury christmas hampers.  There are plenty of places to dine, plus a a bowling centre, a cinema complex,  and a kids’ edutainment centre.

Marina Mall

The Marina Mall is another massive complex combining small boutiques, and outlets for international brands and major designer names such as Channel, Gucci, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Versace and Yves Saint-Laurent.

Perfume shopping in Abu Dhabi

You can buy just about any perfume you can think of in Abu Dhabi, usually straight after they have been launched in their country of origin.

For a more unique Arabic fragrance, you could look out for the unique local perfumeries across Abu Dhabi city which will individually blend a distinctive scent for you using aromatic Arabic oils. A word to the wise, however: these fragrances tend to be far more intense than the average shop-bought perfume, so don’t drown yourself in the stuff!

Jewellery shopping

The gleaming gold jewellery shops in and around the Madinat Zayed Gold Market are said to sell 24-carat gold at the cheapest prices in the world.

You can pick up Arab-style gold bracelets and bangles, watches, necklaces or earrings in yellow or white gold, plus pearls and semi precious stones.

You need to hone your bargaining skills to get a good price, and if you visit a couple of times on different days, don’t be surprised if the prices have changed: they fluctuate according to the daily international gold rate.

Getting there try to fly to Dubai Airport

Because of the increased demand for flights to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and associated events (including the opening of the amazing Yas Hotel) you might choose to fly to nearby Dubai International Airport on one of the many frequent flights to Dubai available from many UK and European Airports – see this previous post about Dubai flights

With such a big focus on shopping in this modern city, it’s hard to resist parting with your cash — but with such a great choice of outlets for a wide range of budgets there is something to suit every pocket in Abu Dhabi.