Dubai Gold Souk (Dubai Gold Market), Dubai (must see)

If you want to take a present home from your visit to Dubai, or if you would like to treat yourself, go to the Dubai Gold Souk (also known as Deira Gold Souk) on Khalid Bin Waleed Road.

The souk is a traditional market with over 300 merchants who sell gold, platinum, diamonds, emeralds and rubies. All of these are the genuine article, so you don’t need to be worried about being ripped off, as you could well be by the street sellers outside the market.

As you go through the huge double wooden gates at the entrance, it really is like finding yourself in Ali-Baba’s cavern! You will see one of the best and most extensive ranges of gold and jewelry in the world.

Each shop has a different display in its window and a master craftsman in each shop is on hand to personalize any item you wish to buy. You will find traditional or modern jewelry in green, red, pink, white or yellow gold, in platinum and occasionally in silver.

There are no price tags attached to the items and if you ask the price, it will seem expensive, but haggling is expected and you can bring the price down by half if you are good at bartering. Even if you are new to the game, just remember to keep a poker face and don’t worry about pretending to give up and turning away. If you don’t get what you want in one shop, you’ll find it in another and the merchants know this, so it’s a good ruse to bring the prices down.

Tip:
Negotiate and get at least a 15-20% discount on making charges as gold price as per weight and quality is generally fixed.
Open throughout the year, the place particularly comes alive in the evenings when it shines and glitters everywhere.