Making Sense of Dubai Mall Culture, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai is known as “the gateway between East and West.” It houses landmarks like Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and Palm Jumeirah, an island shaped like a palm tree. The coastline is part of the Arabian Gulf, and the weather is hot. What really struck me during my visit, however, was the quantity and size of Dubai’s malls and shops.

There is a lot of choice for where to stay in Dubai. I was advised by a friend who lives locally to stay near the mall — but it turned out there were many malls! Location matters if you are looking to book a hotel in Dubai. A lot of Dubai’s attractions are found in and around the Dubai Mall, so I ended up staying by the Mall of the Emirates. With time to kill before my hotel room was ready, I headed over to see what all the fuss was about.

Only in Dubai can you find a ski slope in the desert. The Mall of the Emirates is arguably best known for Ski Dubai — one of the world’s only indoor ski hills.

The mall itself homes a full range of brand-name stores and fast-food chains. The sheer volume of people is overwhelming. Sure, the UAE has no sales tax — but, I wondered, is it really that cheap? As I continued poking my head into stores, I found a section containing high-end shops like Burberry and Roberto Cavalli, offering clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers. Diamond-encrusted pacifier, anyone? ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).