Shopping in Abu Dhabi
Places to shop when in Abu Dhabi
For those of you who are shopaholics, you have tons of malls you can visit, one better than the other. In fact just the buildings of the malls are so beautiful. You will be mesmerized by the architecture alone. Abu Dhabi is believed to be in close competition with Dubai, so you know what that means. Great shopping at Abu Dhabi! There are dozens of private boutiques as well.
Shopping Malls
- Marina Mall
- Abu Dhabi Mall
Shopping is Pleasure
If you are in Abu Dhabi, you must keep aside several days for shopping. In Abu Dhabi, shopping is a pleasure with no queues, no counters and no sales people who want to market the products aggressively. The ambience is cool and the prices are quite low just because there is some insignificance in the import duties and the competition is intense. At the International Airport at Abu Dhabi there is a duty free area which was opened in 1986. This retail complex has been awarded several times for the business enterprise, efficiency, quality and advertising. The passengers in transit find this place very convenient. The range of products is exciting, especially the electronic items and the gold products which carry the biggest sale.
What to Buy
You can find local antiques, cameras, perfumes, toys, souvenirs and leather goods all being sold here. You can pick up a few knick-knacks from the stores, some candies for the children, a book to read on the journey, toiletries, displayed and showcased in a spectacular setting.
The coffee-pot is a wonderful memento to be presented to families and friends. This is a wonderful insignia of the Arab way of living. You can find it on the coins and on the citys famous fountains. The coffee-pots and also the different miniatures and souvenirs make wonderful gifts to the person you adore.
What else can you buy? If you are the type to wear heavy junk jewelry, there are some chunky designs in silver and in precious stones that would drive you crazy. These are ethnic and traditional, made by the craftsmen from abroad who melted down Maria Theresa dollars, the only currency that was accepted in the Gulf Region. The Bedouin women traditionally received all these ornaments after they got married. Traditionally they were gifted by their husbands a wooden chest, which was used for storing jewelry and clothing. These sorts of chests are a pronounced piece in the Arabian home, in Abu Dhabi. The chests are very expensive and nowadays there are the modern representations with brass plates and they are available at a wide range of prices.
Shopping is fun and more of a dip into the traditional ethnicity of the Arabs. You learn more about their furniture, jewelry and clothing, mementos, souvenirs and miniatures. There are fashion boutiques, gift stores, department stores and other special stores with International names like Sheikh Khalifa, Zayed the Second and so on. You can buy almost anything here with an eye to bag the most ornate and traditional pieces.
