Absolutely Arabia

Absolutely Arabia...absolutely magical! The City of Gold's culture is rich and distinct - a brilliant amalgamation of its glorious past and contemporary flamboyance. Every nook and corner of the city has a story to tell. The fairytale land famous for its treasure trove of stories of jinnis, wizards, magic carpets, princesses, camels, and other beautiful things still has its charming souks that are unfazed by the majestic shopping malls; and wonderful eating places offering delectable Arabian food abound everywhere. The Arabian Nights is still a favourite with children and adults alike and the Arabic language spoken by locals still sounds sweet in spite of the MSA or the Modern Standard Arabic that is used officially.

Arabic Literature

Majority of Arabs follow Islam. The Quran with its myriad literary elements is undoubtedly the greatest work of Arabic literature. Mu'allaqat, a series of seven poems or qasidas by various poets, written much before the advent of Islam is another masterpiece. As children, every one of us would have read or been told stories from the adaptations of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights, a medieval epic. Some of the most famous stories in this great work of literature are Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.

The Souks

When Dubai was just a small fishing village, merchants from as far as China, India, Ceylon and other countries would throng to the Souks to buy exotic spices, luxurious silks and handmade goods, making these colourful market places a staple of Arab culture. The souks were also a popular place for barter and therefore doubled up as a hub for cultural exchange. Even today, the Souks are an attraction in the Dubai shopping scene and are extremely popular with tourists. No trip to Dubai is complete without visiting at least one of them. All year round it is not uncommon to see tourists here picking up a bountiful of souvenirs. The Naif Souk with exquisite range of traditional and contemporary fabrics; the traditional Spice Souk with endless little mountains of exotic spices; the Gold Souk, a treasure trove of enchanting jewellery; and the Perfume Souk with a combo of sweet fragrances to greet visitors are some of the star attractions. Look for a list of Souks in our Shopping section.

Dubai Gold Souk

At Dubai, the yellow metal glitters more than anywhere else in the world. A premier gold shopping destination in the world, the city is home to several local and international jewellery houses and is often referred to as the “City of Gold”. The Gold Souk at Bur Dubai with around 300 jewellers is one of the more popular souks in Dubai.

Dubai Spice Souk/ Dubai Old Souk

The Spice Souk is also known as the Old Souk because it was the original souk in Dubai. It still has an old world charm and the narrow lanes are always teeming with buyers. Fragrances of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron and other spices are all over the place. Visitors come here in search of exotic spices that are relatively hard to come by.

Dubai Naif Souk

The Dubai Naif Souk is more along the lines of a traditional Arabic bazaar where any and all fabrics and materials can be found along with ready-made clothing. A preferred shopping spot for locals, the souk also has stalls selling toys and bags of various hues and designs. The place is also known for selling replicas of famous designer wear.

Dubai Covered Souk

Like the Naif Souk, the Covered Souk also is traditionally known as the textile souk, but this souk is more suited for the weather here as all the shops are indoors with central air-conditioning.

Food Souk/ Fish Market

Although this market is a little smelly, it is definitely well worth it. Apart from fresh catch from the ocean, this market also sells seafood of all regions and local favourites like hammour.

Arabic Perfume

There are generally two kinds of perfume used: Oud and Bukhoor. Oud tends to have a ‘woody’ smell to it and in its purest form can be used by men and women. Oud is sometimes burnt so that the smell of the smoke is transferred to the clothing instead of a direct application. Men generally prefer this method because this way their starched white Kanduras do not get stained with oil. Bukhoor looks similar to a piece of coal and tends to be small and round. This has a mixture of scents and it used more around the house and sometimes is burned in the malls.

Dubai Perfume Souk

A visit here is a treat for the olfactory senses. Follow the sweet scents to the different shops selling local and international perfumes. Visitors here also shop for different flavours of incense.

Arabic Souvenirs

From Persian carpets and intricate, hand-beaten silverware, to ornate crystal chandeliers and gilt-wrapped couches, Arabian artefacts are extravagant and out of the ordinary. Tourists can choose from an amazing range of antiques, nouveau antiques, memorabilia and modern Arabic mementos. One can certainly find something unusual and memorable on a shopping expedition. Almost every mall features an ‘Arabic Corner.’ Look for a list of malls in our Shopping section.

Abaya – traditional female clothing

Kandura – traditional male clothing

Shaylah - a traditional head scarf

Pashmina – a shawl

Argile (aka Hookah) - tobacco water pipe

A Persian Carpet (or a Persian carpet mouse pad at least!)

A Stuffed Camel

Islamic Art

Arabic Coffee Pot

Arabic Entertainment

Arabic music spans various genres like sacred, secular, classical and pop. It is believed that Arabic music is largely influenced by the musical theory of the Greeks. Studies reveal that Arab music could have originated between the 5th and 7th century AD and historians say that music was one of the factors that paved the way for magic and exorcism. The Jinns and music were closely interrelated. Al Kindi (801-873 AD), Al-Farabi (872-950 AD), Al-Ghazali (1059-1111 AD) are some of the great names in Arabic music. The last named wrote Kitab al-Musiqi al-Kabir or The Great Book of Music. Many instruments used by Arabian musicians are used in Western music: lute is a derivative of Oud, guitar is a derivative of qitara, atabal or the bass drum is derived from al-tabl and so are many more.

Belly Dancing traces its origin to North Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In Dubai, you can find many restaurants that offer dinner and live entertainment, like a live band. Most often, dancing is a social thing and very few restaurants have a resident belly dancer. But on a desert safari you will find that the nighttime barbeque will have a belly dancer.

Arabic Cuisine

So you thought Arabic cuisine began and ended with Hummous? Think again Arabic cuisine is rich and diverse and to a large extent uses dates, wheat, barley, rice and meats. . There’s a ton of wonderful delights to try and love. The food is fresh, not too heavily spiced and generally delicious. Famous Arabic dishes are Shawarma (a wrap of any shaved meat or a halal mixture of meats), Ful Medamas (a breakfast delicacy made from fava beans), Shish Kebab, Maqluba (a rice and egg-plant casserole), Couscous (made from semolina or hard wheat), Dolma (a stuffed vegetable dish), Lahm Ba'ajeen (a pizza lookalike), Manakish (also a pizza lookalike), Kabsa (a rice preparation), Kebbeh (made from a cereal called Burgul and chopped meat), Ma'amoul (pastries with dry food fillings), Matboha (a spicy salad made from tomatoes and bell peppers), Baba Ghanoush (an eggplant dish), Hummus, shahan Ful (an accompaniment made from fava beans), Basbousa (a sweetmeat made from semolina), Labneh (strained yoghurt), Ka'ak (Arabic versions of cake), Baklawa (pastries0, Luqmat al-qadi (pastries), Qatayef (crepes), Shish taouk (a kebab), Toum (a garlic sauce), Fattoush (a salad made from bread), Sambusak (Arabic samosas), Falafel and Kleicha (cookies).

We’ve got a special section on this too in Eating Out.

Click here for a list of Arabic restaurants

Shisha Cafés

The smoking of flavoured tobacco or “shisha” as it is called, is a tradition that spans over many generations. Once a passion of the Caliphs and Sultans, the hookahs are now spreading in popularity with the hoi polloi. Most outdoor cafés offer a shisha menu and there are many flavours to choose from like strawberry, grape, mint and double apple. Also, hookah enthusiasts can find several shops where they can purchase all the essential materials including a carry case that can be taken home along with various flavours of tobacco. Most shops also offer shipping for an unspecified amount. See our section on ‘Nightlife’ for a list of Shisha Cafés.

Click here for a list of Shisha Cafés