Yes, you heard it right. The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest mall located beside Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. You can find everything under one roof, from entertainment to retail stores and much more. This mall urges you to go on a family outing and marvel at the size of this place, which is equivalent to around 200 soccer pitches. Don’t confuse the Dubai Mall with simply being a place for shopping because it’s so much more than that. With various attractions and activities to indulge in, you’re in for a memorable time to last a lifetime.
The Dubai Mall: An Experience Worth Remembering
When it comes to shopping in Dubai, there’s nothing more fulfilling than spending the day in the Dubai Mall UAE. Paying homage to high fashion with its varied retail stores, you’ll want to explore each and every one of them. So, get ready for a lot of walking because each and everything will call out to you and the shopaholic in you won’t be able to resist.
In fact, with the opening of the Dubai Mall Zabeel in 2019, which is an expansion of the Dubai Mall, this shopping center has become even more magnificent in size. From food outlets and Dubai Mall stores to an underwater aquarium, there’s a lot to look forward to here. But before we delve into all that, here’s some basic information about this mall.
Dubai Mall opening hours:
Retailers: 10 A.M to 11 P.M (Monday to Thursday) | 10 A.M to 12 A.M (Friday to Sunday)
Food outlets: 10 A.M to 12 A.M (Monday to Thursday) | 10 A.M to 1 A.M (Friday to Sunday)
Waterfront promenade restaurants: 10 A.M to 2 A.M (Monday to Sunday)
Address: Downtown Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Things to Do in Dubai Mall
Dubai is one of the most exciting cities to vacation at because there’s no dearth of things to do in Dubai, and this mall is just a stunning example of the same. So, here’s a list of activities that you can enjoy at this shopping mall with your loved ones.
Shop at Retail Stores
With more than 1,200 retail stores and two department stores, this mall is nothing less than a paradise. Being at the crux of high fashion, you’ll find over 70 branded outlets, such as Bloomingdale’s, Galleries Lafayette, and many more. However, if you’re into haute couture, then head to the Fashion Avenue section of the mall, where brands like Versace, Burberry, Dior, and more are available.
The souq section of the mall is a contrast from the modern air of Fashion Avenue. With wide walkaways and a traditional touch to the interior, you’ll get the feeling of shopping in a local souq. For gold lovers, you can buy authentic gold jewelry here or traditional Arab clothes, handicrafts, and so on from these Dubai mall shops.
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Dine at Excellent Restaurants
The aroma of delicious food fills the air as you walk past the wide range of restaurants available here. Serving a variety of cuisine, from American and British to Chinese and French, you’ll be spoiled for choices. Your breakfast, lunch, and dinner are sorted at this Dubai shopping center. There are more than 200 places to dine at and the best part is that most of them offer a gorgeous view of the Dubai fountain or Burj Khalifa. You can enjoy delicacies at Noon O Kabab, Social House, Magnolia Bakery, Nando’s and more.
This mall has also opened a new food section, Chinatown in 2023, where you can indulge in savory Asian street food. The entire décor of this section will transport you to the streets of Asia with stalls of varied cuisines at your disposal. You’ll come across the most well-known restaurants in Dubai having an outlet in this mall as well.
Stay at Hotels near the Dubai Mall
To experience luxury and opulence in the best way possible, you must book a room at the 5-star Address Dubai Mall, which is connected to this Dubai city mall. You can easily access the hotel and the mall at your convenience. Apart from this, there are other nearby hotels that are at walking distance from this mall, namely Palace Downtown, Armani Hotel Dubai, and many more. They’ll enrich your experience of holidaying in Dubai to a whole other level with their world-class service and top-notch facilities. There are around six hotels near this mall, so you can choose any one of them for a relaxing stay.
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Indulge in Entertaining Activities
Next on our list of things to do in Dubai Mall Burj Khalifa is the entertainment section of the mall on the second floor, which offers a plethora of activities. The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is one of the most sought-after activities here, where you can witness exotic marine creatures up close by walking across the world’s largest acrylic panel, which holds a Guinness Book of World Records as well. You can also enjoy a boat ride in a glass-bottom boat or go cage diving with sharks.
Apart from this, you can head to the Trampoline Park, try electric go-karting, experience ice skating at the Olympic-sized ice rink or watch a movie at the Dubai Mall Cinema. There are still many more experiences that this mall offers you, so don't miss out on them because you won’t find these in other shopping malls in Dubai.
Services Offered by Dubai Mall
What makes a place like the Dubai Mall a cut above the rest? Its service. This mall is one of the most famous places to visit in Dubai because of several reasons, one being that it’s the go-to place for all your shopping, entertainment, and leisure needs. The other reason is its impeccable service, which are as follows:
- Hands-free Shopping: The first important service this mall provides is hands-free shopping, which is available at all the stores in Fashion Avenue. You can simply pay and leave your bags at the check-out counter to enjoy a comfortable shopping experience. Later on, you can get your bags delivered to any location, such as somewhere in the mall, your hotel, etc., or collect them from the Guest Service Desk.
- Digital Guide: Another fascinating service this mall includes is the digital guest service representative, Asma, who’ll answer all your queries related to the mall’s parking, navigation, restaurants, stores, and much more.
- Shop and Deliver: You can also shop as much as you want and then simply submit your shopping bags at the Guest Service Desk and provide your delivery address and preferred time. It’ll then be delivered by the mall while you enjoy a comfortable time in the hotel. However, this service is only available when you shop for AED 500 or more at the Dubai Mall.
- Maps and Touchmaps: The best way to navigate around the labyrinth of this mall is with the help of touchmaps, which are interactive digital maps located at the Guest Service Desk and other areas of the mall to help you find the store or restaurant you’re looking for. You can even download the journey map on your phone by simply scanning the QR code on the screen. There are 2D maps available at the mall as well, which are in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
- WiFi: You can enjoy a seamless internet connection inside the mall by connecting to their WiFi network, @Dubai Mall by Emaar. There are a few steps to complete before connecting to the internet, which are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, and Korean.
- Chauffeur Service: The mall also offers an in-mall chauffeur service, which is free of cost and will take you to any location inside the mall with ease. It’s perfect for people traveling with elderly people or even for those who are simply tired of walking around this massive mall but wish to continue exploring it. You can book this service at the Guest Service Desk.
- Prayer Rooms: The mall also understands the needs of the various ethnicities exploring this mall and therefore includes several prayer rooms for men and women, which are located on every level of the mall.
These were some of the major services offered, but there are some more facilities available at this mall, such as loaning of power banks from the Guest Service Desk, free of cost wheelchairs, luggage and bag drop, car window tinting service, lost and found area, Security and Emergency Response teams, ATM machines, kiddie carts for children, and electric car charging stations.
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Travel Tips for Dubai Mall
Whenever you travel to a new place, it’s important to check the travel tips and rules applicable there to avoid any hassle. Here are the tips you must keep in mind during your visit to the Dubai Mall.
- Dress conservatively and wear comfortable shoes
- Pets aren’t allowed
- Smoking is prohibited
- Public display of affection is frowned upon
- Reach early to avoid crowds
- Keep cash handy even though the mall has ATMs
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How to Reach Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is approximately 3 km away from the city center, so you can take an Uber or Careem to reach here. Since this mall is well connected to several locations in the city, you can rely on the following transportation options.
Car: If you’re traveling via a private car from city center, then take the first interchange and drive via Financial Centre Road and you’ll see the mall on the right. Those traveling from Abu Dhabi can also take the exit to Financial Centre Road.
Metro: You can take the metro to Dubai Mall Station, which is connected to the mall at Level 2.
Buses: Feeder bus services travel to the mall directly and drop off passengers at its entrance. You can take the Route 27 bus from Deira Gold Souk station or Route 29 bus from Ghubaiba station that travel every 16 minutes to the mall.
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The Dubai Mall is undoubtedly one of the most exemplary tourist attractions in the city, which will leave you in awe of its magnanimity. It truly captures the essence of the phrase “all under one roof” and offers only the best to the visitors. Instead of being a mall with several retail stores, it also incorporates elements of fun and excitement through its various activities. So, it’s time to plan a trip to this city with our Dubai tour packages and explore the world’s largest mall with your family, friends, or partner.
The Dubai Mall FAQs
The Dubai Mall is famous for being the largest mall in the world. It offers more than a retail experience by including an aquarium and underwater zoo, ice rink, go-karting, and other fun elements.
The Dubai Mall is the largest mall in the world, located adjacent to Burj Khalifa, offering a shopping experience worth remembering.
Emaar Properties is the owner of Dubai Mall, whose founder Mohamed Ali Alabbar is the developer behind the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.
The retail stores are open from 10 A.M to 11 P.M (Monday to Thursday) and 10 A.M to 12 A.M (Friday to Sunday). The food outlets operate from 10 A.M to 12 A.M (Monday to Thursday) and 10 A.M to 1 A.M (Friday to Sunday). As for the waterfront promenade restaurants, their opening hours are 10 A.M to 2 A.M (Monday to Sunday).
There are four floors in Dubai Mall and each one is divided into sections, such as Fashion Avenue, Entertainment, Souq, and so on.
Yes, the Dubai Mall offers 14000+ parking spaces along with valet service and car locater ticket system. You won’t face an issue when it comes to parking here.
There are more than 1,200 stores in this mall, offering high fashion, haute couture, traditional products, and much more.
You can enjoy exploring the Underwater Aquarium and Zoo, ice skating, trampoline park, electric go-karting, Sky View Observatory, etc.
