10 Best Shopping Malls in Dubai

The Dubai Mall offers a vast, modern experience in one of the world's largest malls with tons of family attractions, art and fashion, and even an entire aquarium. This mall boasts more than 1,200 retailers covering favourite brands like Topshop, famed international department store brands like Bloomingdales, and their Fashion Avenue section, where you'll find the latest haute couture. You can find all the upscale brands like Dior and Fendi.

For family fun, you can head for an indoor, Olympic-sized skating rink or head to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo onsite to see exotic undersea life. Like every good mall, there's also a wealth of food court and sit down eatery options, all right in the city centre.

The Mall of the Emirates offers a wide range of haute couture, street fashion, and trendy brands in a luxurious upscale surrounding, plus indoor attractions galore. This mall provides a boutique-style Apple store, brands like Harvey Nichols and Marks & Spencer, and a Fashion Dome area with tons of the hottest designers in their small shops. Also, food options are out of this world, including cosy coffee shops and delicious dumplings. You can also hit up an indoor ski slope any time of year, or head for the kid-friendly Magic Planet.

This vast mall offers a luxurious, sleek, and upscale vibe with great deals and fun activities for everyone. It's just 13 minutes from the city centre.

The Ibn Battuta Mall bills itself as a place to explore and offers 6 courts inspired by its namesake explorer's travels to Andalusia, Egypt, Tunisia, India, Persia and China. Each court is covered with elaborate tiling and mosaics, high ceilings painted to evoke endless blue skies and even a giant golden elephant statue. Of course, shopping is the core goal here, and you'll find a full selection of fashion, both upscale and streetwear, as well as lifestyle shops and sporting goods, all with the expected promotions and regular events.

This mall gives you the unique international experience you want from your travels as well as tons of recognisable brands. It's just a 20-minute drive south of the city centre.

Dubai Festival City along the banks of Dubai Creek offers more than 400 stores and services with waterfront dining, laser light shows and ultramodern entertainment displays. The stores here include a gigantic IKEA store. Outside, you can walk along the mall's Canal Walk, which features tons of elegant, upscale and casual waterfront dining options. Over at Festival Bay, you can catch the IMAGINE show featuring fountains, light and lasers every evening. The show has set records for its use of technology like water screen projection and permanent projection mapping.

This is a shopping mall that's also a full waterfront entertainment experience. It's all only about 18 minutes drive east of downtown.

City Centre Mirdif offers more than 430 shops and services as well as innovative entertainment options that will appeal to everyone from thrill-seekers to families. Some of the main shopping attractions here include the anchor department stores, Centrepoint and Debenhams. You can also hit up iFly, an indoor skydiving experience. For family fun, you can let the kids play at Little Explorers or head for a full 12-lane indoor bowling alley to throw a few games. You'll find it all here: housewares, electronics, fashion, shoes, games and gifts.

City Centre Mirdif takes the idea of mall-as-experience to another level. It's in a suburban region just 20 minutes east of the city centre.

The Dubai Outlet Mall is the place to find fantastic deals and year-round sale prices at factory outlets offering overstock and bargains in general. If you're looking for the best in haute couture designers, but you don't want to pay boutique prices, check out brands here from designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs and Burberry. Looking for gadgets, tools, electronics, jewellery or perfumes? You'll find tons of options for these here as well. Even better, head here on Monday for the weekly sales day and get up to 50% discounts at some stores.

Bargain hunters looking for great deals on high-end goods won't want to miss this one. It's only about 20 minutes southeast of the city centre.

Wafi City is one of the more iconic malls in Dubai, offering a full shopping experience in surroundings modeled after ancient Egypt combined with upscale luxury vibes. This mall has as much a photo opportunity as it is a shopping experience. When you approach the outside, you'll see what appears to be an Egyptian necropolis or temple with giant, intricate statues and carved figures. Inside you'll find tons of fashion boutiques in the Middle Eastern style as well as a wide range of international fashion luxury labels.

This mall feels like you're walking through the streets of ancient Egypt but offers the best in high-end modern brands. It's 11 minutes northeast of the city centre.

BurJuman Centre shopping mall is among the oldest malls in Dubai but still offers some of the best modern labels and a family-oriented experience complete with entertainment facilities. You'll find all the leading brands like H&M and Zara, and you'll have the option to catch a blockbuster at a state-of-the-art multiplex movie theatre. The mall also offers a full suite of food court and sit-down dining options, and the entire place is decorated in a colourful and pleasant style.

Whether you're looking for high street fashion or you just want a day of shopping, this is a good spot. BurJuman Centre is located just 19 minutes drive to the north of the city centre.

Dubai Marina Mall offers a casual, family-friendly shopping experience with various international brands and affordable fashion services with a relaxed vibe. You'll find good deals on upscale fashion brands and beauty services, and the dining options are off the charts, offering alfresco seating on the waterfront. Among the most popular is Pier 7, which has 7 different exciting high-concept restaurants, all of which offer comfortable terrace seating right along the water.

The mall offers over 160 stores and services and includes a children's play area for the kids. It's a fun and family-friendly staple of Dubai shopping, located 22 minutes drive to the south of the city centre.

Mercato Shopping Mall is built to evoke the experience of walking through Renaissance Italy with cobblestone floors and piazzas offering the latest international brands. Here you'll find stores like Gap, Laura Ashley, Mango, Jack Willis and others. You can also find unique food outlets like Gazebo Indian Restaurant, the Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar and other speciality food shops. The mall even features a special entertainment centre section dedicated specifically to kids playing games and riding rides.

This mall offers a fun, old-world experience that lets you step outside of Dubai and into Renaissance-era Europe while checking out the latest modern brands. It's only 8 minutes west of downtown along the waterfront.