Dubai is famous for its malls. Plus when it’s summer, it’s the perfect place to escape from the desert heat! Inside you’ll find not only shops but restaurants, hotels and even entertainment centers. It may be hard to know which mall to go to or where to even start? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Here’s a quick guide to all the best malls in Dubai in a handy Dubai Malls list! Plus information on which mall is best depending on which type of shopping you’d like to do. We’ve also added some great insider tips!
Dubai Mall![]()
Of course, we have to start with the biggest and most famous mall of them all! This is the world’s largest mall and close to Dubai fountains and Burj Khalifa. In fact, it’s now even larger with the new extension Fashion Avenue. Filled with all the famous designer names.
Every section is dedicated to certain shops so it’s probably best if you make a plan before visiting this one! Whether you’re looking for clothes or electronics they are grouped together. They also have a handy app to download that will help guide you through this huge mall. It includes a Dubai Mall map and navigation to individual shops. There are also kiosks dotted around ready to help inside in case you get lost! Almost every single shop you could possibly need is here but it would take a couple of days if you wanted to visit them all!
There are lots of key tourist destinations within easy reach from Dubai Mall. Including the falling man fountain and the world’s largest aquarium. If you have children, there’s even a virtual reality theme park along. So there is a lot to keep yourself and the family busy! If you do get tired from walking, there are even indoor taxis (think of a golf buggy) to take you around the mall.
Resident tip – The parking is huge, so make sure to make a note of where you parked your car! There are a handy paper token dispensers to help. Also, the parking does get very congested on evenings and weekends. So as an alternative, you can take a tip from the locals and park in Souq Al Bahar to avoid the traffic and walk across the Dubai fountains to access Dubai Mall. Parking is free in both malls except premium valet parking.
Nearest metro is Dubai Mall, connected by an air-conditioned tunnel. Be prepared, the walk from the metro is around 10 to 15-minutes before you reach the mall.
Ibn Battuta
This mall has different themes from around the world in different sections and a wide variety of shops. Making it a pretty interesting mall to wander around in and great for taking some photos. There’s even a huge ship in the China Court area by the Cinema. This is the best mall for bargain shopping, as often the shops have sales and the mall is made up of mostly affordable brands. You’ll also find a cinema that isn’t as busy as many of the others in Dubai, so can be great for avoiding the crowds.
It is smaller than the other malls but is quite long if you’re going from one end to the other. For instance, the cinema is at one end and a large Carrefour is at the other. Luckily if you do get tired, there’s a taxi car inside which will take you to the other end for 10 aed (price correct as of July 2019) or if you’re too tired from shopping to go back to your car!
Parking like Dubai Mall is free except for the premium valet service. Connected via a tunnel to the metro stop “Ibn Battuta.”
Mall of Emirates
A rather balanced mall with a mix of affordable shops such as River Island, Zara and H&M and high-end designer shops. You can find many designer shops here such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Hublot, Christian Louboutin & the high end British department store Harvey Nichols. It’s only location is here in Mall of the Emirates. These are just a few of the designer names located in this mall.
It is also, of course, famous for having one of the world’s largest indoor artificial ski slopes. Where you can even have a hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows in your snow gear. Overall this is a great all-round mall with a cinema, a good selection of restaurants and two connected hotels. Similar to Dubai Mall, it gets pretty busy on evenings and weekends. It’s isn’t as large as Dubai Mall, therefore making it easier to navigate, making it popular with residents.
Parking is free on weekends and in the week you get the first four hours for free excluding valet. You can get more hours free parking if you visit the cinema but the ticket needs to be validated by the cinema. Also connected via tunnel to the metro stop “Mall of Emirates.”
Dubai Marina Mall
A much smaller mall compared with the other giants here in Dubai but this Mall perfect for Marina residents or those staying nearby. Like the others, it includes a variety of restaurants and a cinema. There’s an ideal small mixture of shops including fashion, beauty, and electronics. The best thing about this mall is the view! As many of the restaurants facing from the back of the mall onto the marina. You also have Pier 7 connected by bridge nearby with several restaurants and bars overlooking the stunning marina. Ideal both day and night time or if you want to impress your date on date night.
Parking is free all the time except valet like the other malls.
This mall is also accessible by Dubai Tram (named Dubai Marina Mall) there isn’t a direct tunnel but the stop is pretty close by to the mall.
Festival City Mall
If you want several things for the kids to do but are trying to avoid the crowds of Dubai Mall, Festival City Mall is a great mall with it’s own water laser show which plays at set intervals just like the Dubai fountains. Again a great all-round mall with a good mix of shops, restaurants, and once again a cinema. I haven’t seen if they have valet but typically there is one available at an extra cost.
There is also a large Ikea and Ace Hardware next to the mall. Which if you’ve just moved here is probably pretty useful to know! After all, Ikea is always a great place to start for getting the essentials for your home.
Parking is free.
I haven’t tried the journey myself but it says it’s possible to get the metro to Creek stop and then take a water taxi across to Festival City Mall.
The Outlet Village
Not to be confused with Dubai Outlet Mall (another mall specifically for discounted items). The Outlet Village is perfect if you’re looking for discounted luxury clothes and even has a Sephora with discounted products. There are a few other shops but it’s mostly high-end fashion. The mall is designed in a way that makes it seem like you’re walking along a street in Europe, with glass skylights and paved streets. It’s a nice escape especially during the summer as you can feel like you’re outside without actually being outside. However, it is a bit of a far drive as it’s located by Dubai’s Parks and Resorts but it definitely makes a nice day out! You can also pop to Last Exit for an interesting food experience on the way back or just to grab a nice coffee from Saddle for the journey (see my previous article about the best coffee places in Dubai).
Parking is free and accessible only via car.
Mirdif City Centre
In terms of the types of shops, this mall is similar to Ibn Battuta but without any theme to the mall itself. Again there’s a range of shops from fashion to sports and includes restaurants and a cinema. If you’re living close by, it’s a good mall for getting everything you need. There aren’t any particular unique shops so it isn’t one you would purposely drive across the city but is great if you live close by.
Parking is also free like the other malls.
So that cover’s the majority of the best and larger malls in Dubai. Dubai is in fact building even more malls, so I’ll probably have to update this list soon! As if Dubai doesn’t have enough malls! It wasn’t possible to cover every single mall. As there are many smaller malls in all different parts of the city with similar shops.
The large malls are possible to spend an entire day just wandering around, grabbing bites to eat and having an enjoyable day out with the family. Due to the hot weather, malls have become the perfect hiding spots for residents to enjoy their time in the air conditioning. They are also popular places for everyone to meet up during the evening. We hope you enjoyed this quick guide to the best Dubai malls and don’t forget to leave a comment about which mall is your favourite and why!