by Andre Sanchez

The Dubai Gold Souk is the reason for Dubai being named the ‘City of Gold’.  The number of stores and gold outlets is staggering, and it is said that over 25 tonnes of gold are on display at any one time, and the pieces are, in fact, sold by weight rather than by design and craftsmanship. 

The Gold Souk is a magnet for people of all nationalities with money to spend.  Gold of all colors - yellow, red and white -  in all forms of watches, bracelets and set with the most expensive precious stones that money can buy.  However, it is not all expensive, and there is something for every pocket.  Don’t forget to haggle because the price on offer is not that expected, and even without it the prices displayed can be up to 60% cheaper than anywhere else in the world for some items, though others are expensive.  

It is worth travelling to Dubai if you intend purchasing expensive pieces for that special person, or just as an investment, since the savings you make here can more than cover your traveling expenses. It’s worth a visit even if you are not buying.  The sheer magnificence of some of the jewelers is breathtaking, and the craftsmanship of many of the pieces is astounding.  Craftsmen have alloyed gold with other metals to provide many different colors of metal in the one piece.

If you don’t see anything that you like, which should be highly unlikely, you can have a piece specially designed for you.  You can order to pick up later, or some pieces can even be made while you wait.  It is claimed that 95% of tourists buy gold when in Dubai, and 95% of that is above 21 carat.  The average spend per piece is $400 US.   

Haggling is expected and if you are a bit shy or reticent you will soon get used to it.  Eventually it can become a game and many people like to wander round the souk just to watch and listen to the haggling.  However, the seller always has a minimum price in mind and the expert haggler will manage to beat the price down to that, while others give up and pay more than they could have.  It’s great fun to watch. 

As stated earlier, the gold pieces are sold by weight.  The price is the current price of gold plus a ‘making charge’.  It is the making charge that can be haggled over, since the traders will not sell at below the standard price for gold.  This is fair enough, and when you visit the souk you should come armed with the current price of gold and some knowledge of the average making prices so that you can refine your haggling techniques with the knowledge of the minimum price you should be paying. 

It can be very busy, and you are recommended to visit in the evening. Parking is atrocious so take a cab and save yourself a lot of problems, not to mention high blood pressure!  The Gold Souk is not suitable for high heels – sensible and comfortable shoes are the order of the day since you will be doing a lot of walking.  You can easily wander around for three or four hours, and although you won’t believe it when you are there, it is only a half square kilometre.  It seems a lot larger.  

It is not all restricted to gold though, and there are some nice boutiques offering a variety of precious and semi-precious stones.  There are also silver and platinum a variety of other metals and alloys.  There are fabric shops and all sorts of gift shops if you find the gold a bit above your means.  You can also purchase fake watches in most of the best known designer brands.  

The Gold Souk is situated on the Deira side of the Creek, just to the Gulf side of the Deira Tower.  The Al Ghurair Shopping Complex is not far away and you could spend the afternoon in the shopping complex, enjoy a meal in one of the many restaurants then take in the Gold Souk in the evening.  

No visit to Dubai is complete without visiting the souks, and the Gold Souk is the most impressive of them all.  So hone up your haggling skills and pay it visit.  

The Dubai Gold Souk was originally published at http://www.globallifenow.com