A first-time visitor to Dubai will note right away that the city is crammed full of shopping malls and retail areas catering to shoppers of all stripes. Spend some time here, and you’ll also note how many deals, festivals, and other shopping-related events are held throughout the year.
Therefore, we don’t blame you if you’re seeking the greatest souvenirs from Dubai to take home with you as a memento of your trip. You won’t be let down by the city’s abundance of exciting possibilities.
Dubai is a shopper’s paradise, with everything from traditional apparel and jewelry in the souks of ancient Dubai to high-end designer stores and brands in malls like the Dubai Mall.
In any case, we’ve got you covered if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options for what to buy in Dubai and don’t want to squander your money on anything that has no cultural link or meaning in Dubai.
Dubai is a great place to pick up a wide variety of unique and useful mementos. Some of the things We include below are ones that many other Dubai residents use frequently. If you want to give them away as presents, they will most certainly be received with greater gratitude.
Visit the souks in Bur Dubai and Deira if you want to find souvenirs that won’t break the bank but will nevertheless remind you of your time in Dubai. Because of the wide selection and lower prices than at a shopping mall, these are the finest locations to shop in Dubai for souvenirs and presents.
You may also pick up some reasonably priced Dubai mementos or just some interesting items at Global Village to remind you of your time in Dubai.
Top 18 souvenirs to bring home from Dubai
We’ve made a pocket list of Dubai’s most popular souvenirs among tourists. Hope you find it helpful.
- Abaya
- Dates
- Arabic Coffee
- Bakhoor
- Pearls
- Spices
- Woven handicrafts
- Gold jewelry
- Kandoora
- Camel Milk Chocolate
- Attar
- Camel related souvenirs
- Mabkharah
- Burj Khalifa replicas
- Arabic and Persian Style Carpets
- Pashmina Shawls
- Dallah and Finjan (Arabian Coffee Set)
- Lanterns
1. Abaya
Emirati women traditionally dress in the Abaya. It’s a long black robe worn as outerwear, complete with a Sheila (or scarf) to match.
This look is inspired by the Islamic dress rule for women, which dictates that all skin, save the hands and the face, must be covered. While there are many options, most Emirati women wear black.
The Abaya is an iconic symbol of the culture of Dubai and makes for a practical and stylish souvenir to bring home from Dubai.
You can pick up a plain Abaya at any souk for a reasonable price, making it an ideal keepsake. However, if you want a higher-quality, branded Abaya, you should visit the Abaya shops in Dubai, albeit the pricing will reflect this.
2. Dates
It comes as no surprise that the United Arab Emirates values and celebrates its palm trees. Dates play an important role in Dubai’s culture due to the significance they have both culturally and religiously. It is the first meal that Muslims eat after breaking their fast and the first meal that is provided to guests. The positive effects on health are an added bonus.
Dates come in many forms and varieties in Dubai’s marketplaces, from dry to sweet to chewy to biscuit to date syrup, and the costs vary accordingly. There are so many delicious selections here that you must get a kilo of dates before you go, as it is one of the best souvenirs you can get from Dubai.
3. Arabic Coffee
The traditional Arabic coffee, Qahwah, is one of the nicest souvenirs you can bring back from Dubai. Because Qahwah and dates are the first things provided to a guest, they serve as a sign of hospitality.
Caffeine is so potent that only a tiny amount is needed to feel its effects. Qahwah may be purchased at any of Dubai’s many spice markets.
Amazing cafés in Dubai attest to the city’s thriving coffee culture, but coffee has a long history that predates the influx of ex-pats and the establishment of the United Arab Emirates. While traveling through the hard desert environment, desert tribes greatly valued and reciprocated the Bedouin custom of bringing a cup of gahwa, or Arabic coffee.
The United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia worked together to get Gahwa, or Arabic coffee, included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015. If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you could pick up some Arabic coffee, also known as gahwa, as a memento of your time in Dubai.
4. Bakhoor
Bakhoor, a traditional type of incense, is often included among the souvenirs that visitors to Dubai bring home with them. Saffron, sandalwood, Arabic gum, Arabic Oud, and other oils are just some of the natural elements that went into making this blend.
The powdered version, known as Bakhoor, is one option, although scented wood chips and other forms are also available. Both types of incense are burned on charcoal to release their scents.
Bakhoor is both a time-honored practice and a cutting-edge replacement for synthetic fragrances and deodorizers.
The price varies from product to product due to differences in quality. However, if you want to take home a genuine memento of Dubai like Bakhoor, the best places to do so are Swiss Arabian and Abdul Samad Al Quraishi.
5. Pearls
You may take a piece of UAE history home with you when you buy a pearl necklace in Dubai, as it also is one of the best souvenirs to get from Dubai.
Pearl diving served as a catalyst for economic growth and development in the country. Pearls from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are currently utilized by luxury jewelry manufacturers like Cartier.
The Dubai Gold Souk and the Dubai Mall are two of the few locations you can find this pricey yet historically significant keepsake, but it is well worth the trip.
6. Spices
Since you’re going to the Spice Souk so often, you might as well pick up some spices while you’re there. High-quality spices from Iran, India, and China are among those available at the Dubai Spice Souk. Photos of the rainbow mountains of tastes seem stunning, and the dish itself is delicious.
The Spice Souk in historic Dubai is a must-see for all first-time visitors to Dubai. Saffron, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, Kashmiri chili powder, cinnamon sticks, and many more spices from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia may all be found here at reasonable prices. You, or someone you know who enjoys cooking, will appreciate receiving this set of high-quality spices as a souvenir from Dubai.
7. Woven handicrafts
The woven handicrafts are possibly the best representation of Dubai’s heritage.
These hand-made Dubai souvenirs are woven from a variety of sources, such as palm tree leaves, cotton, and wool, to produce diverse prints. This has been a traditional practice of the Bedouin women, during which they would share stories and recite poetry.
Today, tourists can choose from a wide selection of woven items, including baskets, placemats, coasters, rugs, bags, fans, containers, and much more. These souvenirs from Dubai are cheap, traditional, and found at the souk.
8. Gold jewelry
Gold, which is commonly associated with Dubai because of its high-end reputation, is our next top souvenir from Dubai.
In the gold souk, you may find a wide variety of jewelry with Middle Eastern and Indian aesthetic influences. Tourists are drawn in by the glimmer of the necklaces, bracelets, and belts displayed on the screen.
One may argue that the price of gold in Dubai is lower than in other countries, giving you even more incentive to buy some.
Consultants can point you in the direction of classic gold pieces like lengthy necklaces and chunky bracelets if that’s what you’re after. Even though it’s not made of genuine gold, a headdress is a popular souvenir for visitors. It’s shaped like a geometric design, and it rests on top of the head, with gold chains hanging down.
Gold trinkets from Dubai are, needless to say, not cheap, but they are investments that will last a lifetime.
9. Kandoora
The Kandoora is the traditional dress for males in the United Arab Emirates, and not only Emirati men. The design of this garment is based on the traditional Abaya worn by Muslim ladies. A long white robe with a tassel in the front is what you’ll find instead.
While there are a variety of colors available for the Kandoora, the traditional hue for Emirati males is white. On top of the Kandoora, ministers, rulers, and members of the aristocracy wear a robe of gold or black to signify their position.
The Kandoora itself is a wonderful souvenir from Dubai, but the accompanying headgear is what most visitors remember.
10. Camel Milk Chocolate
Despite its out-of-the-ordinary name, camel milk has been drunk by locals in the United Arab Emirates for centuries. It’s perfect for producing chocolate since it has a low-fat content, a high protein content, and a creamy texture. Camel milk chocolates, made in Dubai, are a delicious and unusual food souvenir to take home.
11. Attar
Attar is an oil used as a perfume that has been extracted from plants like flowers, herbs, spices, or bark. After being retrieved, it rests in a wood foundation for anywhere from a year to a decade. Alcohol is not included in attars, which have been utilized for thousands of years in Eastern culture, and it is one of the best souvenirs to bring home from Dubai.
Each type of attar is said to have a different therapeutic effect on the body. Thus, they’re organized accordingly.
Perfume Souk in Deira is the place to go if you’re unsure of which attar to purchase due to the wide variety on offer. The vendors can suggest a blend that will work best for you. Perfume stores in Dubai’s duty-free shops, mall shops, and even internet vendors all sell attar.
12. Camel related souvenirs
A camel is more symbolic of Dubai than the UAE’s national animal, the hawk.
The city clearly has a lot of camel paraphernalia, as seen by the abundance of plush camels, camel-shaped chocolates, camel-shaped magnets, and camel-shaped T-shirts. A small gold camel with a variety of diamonds set into its hump is a more genuine keepsake.
You can find these camel-shaped trinkets all across Dubai since they are such an iconic symbol of the emirate and are considered one of Dubai’s top souvenirs.
13. Mabkharah
The Mabkharah is where Bakhoor is kept. This souvenir isn’t limited to its intended purpose of burning Bakhoor; it may also serve as a decorative accent, that’s why it is one of Dubai’s top souvenirs to bring home with you.
The Bakhoor is intended to be placed into the pit of the burner, which might be a Mabkharah of several forms. If the incense burns out, just sprinkle more over the charcoal.
The Mabkharah is used to enhance the aroma in homes and shops around the United Arab Emirates. Many Emirati women light the Mabkharah and place it under their Abayas or Kandoras so that the aromatic smoke can permeate their modest garments. When compared to spraying on some perfume, this gives the garments a much longer-lasting fragrance.
The Mabkharah may be purchased at most Dubai souvenir shops at a low price.
14. Burj Khalifa replicas
You can’t claim to have visited Dubai if you don’t carry back a piece of the world’s tallest structure. It’s like visiting Paris without taking home a reminder of the Eifel Tower!
The Burj Khalifa is the best symbol of Dubai. However, souvenirs purchased within the building tend to be rather pricey. Fortunately, Burj Khalifa souvenirs can be purchased at considerably more reasonable costs in pretty much any place in Dubai.
Mint tins, keychains, mugs, and scale models of the Burj Khalifa may be found just about wherever and it is one of the best souvenirs you can take home from Dubai. You should also pick up a replica of the Burj Al Arab, the United Arab Emirates’ second most well-known structure and the world’s only 7-star hotel, out of glass while you’re there.
15. Arabic and Persian Style Carpets
We will be honest about it: bringing a heavy Persian rug back from Dubai will need a lot of work. However, if you’d rather have an authentic Persian rug (or carpet) than an inflated mass-produced rug from a well-known shop, the effort will be well worth it.
A one-of-a-kind souvenir from a vacation to Dubai would be a beautiful, ornate Persian rug, which has been a collector’s item in the region for decades. Because they take many years to make and are woven by trained artisans in families where the technique is passed down the centuries, Persian carpets (produced in Iran) and those created in Turkey, Morocco, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and India are extremely expensive.
Many residences in the United Arab Emirates, as well as those of ex-pats and people from other countries living in Dubai, are decorated with beautiful Persian carpets. Many of the carpets and rugs you’ll discover at well-known stores are antiques with a history and a value that rises with time.
16. Pashmina Shawls
In the shops of Dubai’s Textile Souk, the Pashmina Shawl is a popular item. Because of the high quality of the cloth, it is one of the most sought for Asian souvenirs to bring home from Dubai.
Customers buy Pashmina shawls in large quantities because they are so versatile. Souvenirs of this kind from Dubai are not cheap, but they are well worth the investment.
17. Dallah and Finjan (Arabian Coffee Set)
The Dallah is an essential purchase when in Dubai as it is one of Duai’s top souvenirs. A tall coffee pot with an extremely long spout is used to serve the Qahwah. The Dallah can be purchased alone. However, it is recommended that a dozen Finjan, the little cups, be purchased at the same time.
Tourists may have a hard time settling on a preferred design among the coffee set’s many elaborate patterns. It’s a common memento that doesn’t break the bank. However, the cost may vary based on the item’s unique design and craftsmanship.
The Dallah is a symbol of welcome and warmth that is commonly displayed in front of businesses and private residences.
18. Lanterns
In the UAE, lanterns serve a religious function, and they are one of the best souvenirs to bring home from Dubai. At the beginning of Ramadan, it is lit up as is customary in most Muslim nations. However, the lantern is not limited to the holy month; it is a common fixture in many people’s year-round house and yard decor.
The traditional lantern is not as ornate or elaborate as one might think it would be. Thankfully, the souks in Dubai also sell a wide selection of Turkish lanterns, which are a lot brighter and more colorful.
