Sep 19, 2008

Bling Bling Dubai Style

Dubai’s Bling Bling reputation isn’t all about its uber modern architecture. Even if you have no intention of buying anything its Gold Souk is a window-shopping and people watching paradise.

Hundreds of vendors line the covered market. Shop windows are packed with a wide variety of gold jewelery ranging from simple bangles to elaborate, Bedouin-style necklaces. Contemporary designs are also available. If time allows you can have pieces custom made.

Prices are based on weight and the rate of gold, which fluctuates daily, but there is still a little room to haggle. Jewellery can be bought in 18, 22 and 24 carats. Keep in mind that the higher the carat the deeper the yellow of the gold.

The Gold Souk is located on Sikkat al-Khail Street in Deira. Open between 10 am and 10 pm some shops may close for a few hours during the afternoon. The best time to visit is in the evening when the market is most active.

14 comments:

Lakshmi said...

been there and its quite a sight..you shd see the shops in india too..though its not the same as in dubai

Anonymous said...

Wow! Impressive

Wendy said...

Lakshmi and Lola,
A girl can never have too many bangles...

Anonymous said...

Y'day it wasn't allowing me to comment. :(

A perfect feminine place ;)

GMG said...

Hi Wendy! After a short break but a long absence, I’m finally back to the blogosphere and to your excellent blog. As far as Dubai is concerned, after seeing your gold post, I'm so glad that the Burj Al Arab was fully booked when I tried to get there... ;)) And the beach has a yellow flag... ;)))
Independence Day in Mexico remembers me of my first time there in September 1983: on TV ads were always mentionning «Los NiƱos Heroes de Chaputelpec»...
For the first time I see a post of yours with the same pictures I took: the hats from around the world...
NYC waterfall rises controversy? We are in NYC aren't we... What else?
Many thanks for your comments on Blogtrotter while I was off. It’s now on its way to Crete! Hope you enjoy and wish you a great week ahead!

Wendy said...

Hi Cuckoo,
so sorry you were experiencing operating difficulties. There must have been a ghost in the machine.

Hi Gil,
Hope you had a lovely holiday and welcome back!

Nomadic Matt said...

the inner gansta rapper in me wants to buy some...bling bling

Monna said...

Wendy, I like your new banner.

I'm not as in touch with my inner gangsta as Matt is... but I like the jingling of a few bangles on my wrist.

Wendy said...

Matt, How about a pinky ring?
Monna, glad you like the banner. It took a little wrangling in photoshop. The jingling of bangles is always a good thing.

Anonymous said...

But which one is good ?
Deeper yellow gold or light yellow gold

Wendy said...

Hobo,
I think it's a matter of personal taste. For investment the higher the carat the better I would imagine.

Anonymous said...

What a great photo! When my husband and I were in Dubai during the month of June it was so hot, even at 9pm that I was literally couldn't focus on the gold.

I remember looking at windows like this one, turning around to buy yet another bottle of water from a street vendor, finishing bottle after bottle, and finally just heading to dinner.

The gold was absolutely beautiful though. I've simply never seen such an amazing variety of artistically worked metal. I hope we'll return one year in the spring!

Wendy said...

Hi DeliciousBaby,
I was there in April and it was hot enough.June,whew!

Amy @ The Q Family said...

Wow. The sight of them is impressive. Do they post any security guard in front of the store? I'm just curious since that much gold will make me nervous if I'm an owner.

-Amy @ The Q Family