Retail
What Are the Best Malls in Dubai? An Honest Guide by What You're Shopping For
The best mall in Dubai depends on what you want. Dubai Mall for luxury and everything under one roof, Mall of the Emirates for a calmer designer edit, and Dubai Hills for an easy everyday run.
The honest answer is that there is no single best mall in Dubai. There is a best mall for what you are actually trying to do that day. Dubai Mall is where I go when I want everything from luxury to a quick lunch under one roof. Mall of the Emirates is my pick for a calmer, more curated designer shop. Dubai Hills is the one I choose for an easy everyday run when I do not want the crowds. Below I have broken them down the way I actually think about them, so you can pick before you leave the house.
Which Dubai mall is best for luxury and big brands?
The Dubai Mall in Downtown is the obvious one, and for good reason. It is the largest mall in the world, with well over a thousand stores, two big department stores in Bloomingdale's and Galeries Lafayette, and the Fashion Avenue wing where more than a hundred and fifty luxury labels sit together. If you want Chanel, Gucci and Valentino in one walk, this is it. It is also where I take visitors, because the aquarium, the ice rink and the fountain show outside make a full day even if you are not spending a thing.
The trade off is size and crowds. On a weekend it can feel overwhelming, so I plan my route before I go in and I never try to do the whole thing in one visit.
Where should you go for a calmer, more curated shop?
Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha is my answer. It has around six hundred and thirty shops, so it is big without being endless, and it leans more towards quality than sheer quantity. Harvey Nichols anchors the luxury side, and it has become a launch spot for brands arriving in the region, so you often find something new here before anywhere else. It also has Ski Dubai attached, which sounds like a gimmick until you have escaped a forty five degree afternoon by watching penguins. It sits right on the Metro, which makes it one of the easiest to reach without driving.
Which mall is best for an everyday, low stress trip?
Dubai Hills Mall is the one I recommend most to friends who live in the newer communities. It is bright, airy and rarely as packed as the giants. You get the reliable high street in Zara, H&M and Sephora, a huge Geant hypermarket for the weekly shop, and enough dining to make an afternoon of it, all without the sensory overload. There is even an indoor rollercoaster if you have kids to entertain. For a normal Saturday, this is my default.
What about waterfront views and something a bit different?
If you want the shopping to feel like an outing, two places stand out. Dubai Festival City Mall sits on the Creek, has the only IKEA in the city, and runs the IMAGINE light and fountain show most evenings, which is lovely with dinner. Ibn Battuta Mall out in Jebel Ali is themed around the explorer's travels, with courts styled after China, Persia, India, Egypt, Andalusia and Tunisia. It is genuinely beautiful to walk through and it is on the Metro too. For harbour views with fewer crowds, Dubai Marina Mall is small but pretty.
Where do you go for real bargains?
For discounts, skip the main malls and head to the outlets. Dubai Outlet Mall has hundreds of stores with reductions that run anywhere from twenty to ninety per cent, and it is the better choice for range. The Outlet Village near Jebel Ali is calmer and prettier, styled like a little Italian town, with brands like Armani, Coach and Hugo Boss at gentler discounts. If you can time a trip during the Dubai Shopping Festival, which runs from around mid December into late January, even the flagship malls join in with proper sales.
My quick tips for shopping the malls well
Go on a weekday morning if you can, roughly between ten and two, when it is quiet and you can actually think. Wear comfortable shoes, because these distances are real. And decide what you came for before you arrive, whether that is an abaya, a new perfume, or something for the home. The malls here are big enough to swallow a whole day if you let them, so a little focus goes a long way.
More from Aastha's retail world: explore here.
