I spent 8 hours in the world's biggest mall in Dubai. It's like an indoor city and has everything an aquarium, an ice rink, and a Texas Roadhouse.
Chloë James
- Dubai Mall, built in 2008, has 1,200 shops, an ice rink, an aquarium, and a 26-screen movie theater.
- Chloë James spent eight hours exploring everything from its designer storefronts to its Chinatown.
Dubai does nothing by halves. The tallest building, the deepest pool, the most diamonds on a perfume bottle — you name it, Dubai's either set the record or plans to within the next few years.
Its biggest mall is equally ambitious. Dubai Mall opened in 2008 and cost an estimated $20 million to build. The world's biggest mall by land area neighbors the world's tallest building — the Burj Khalifa — and covers more than 1 million square meters.
Dubai Mall is like an indoor city with 1,200 stores, an ice rink, an aquarium, a virtual-reality park, a dinosaur skeleton, and a 26-screen cinema.
Despite living in the United Arab Emirates for two years, I've only ever visited the mall for a few hours — mainly to shop at the massive Zara.
I set out to spend a full day there to experience all the Dubai Mall offers. I arrived at noon and didn't leave until 8 p.m.
Situated in downtown Dubai, you can reach Dubai Mall by metro or car. The metro includes an 820-meter walk through a tunnel from the station to the mall. If you're arriving by car, prepare to navigate a 14,000-space parking lot, with multiple entrances into the mall.
My day started with the mall's main attraction: shopping.
My first stop was Level Shoes.
Level Shoes is the world's largest luxury shoe store, stretching across 96,000 square feet. The store sells over 350 brands of shoes, ranging from Adidas sneakers to Louboutin pumps. The store also houses a café, VIP lounge, and spa.
I entered the mall via the ice rink where people can skate under fake snowfall.
I whipped out my phone and typed my first destination into the Dubai Mall app. The app works like Google Maps, helping shoppers navigate the retail labyrinth.
The app provided me with a detailed route from the Dubai Ice Rink to Level Shoes.
Visiting Levels was an exercise in window shopping for me.
But it's hard to resist buying a bag for 3,600 UAE dirhams — around $1,000 — when you're surrounded by shoppers toting Prada hauls.
In Dubai Mall, everybody seems to shop like every day is pay day.
The most expensive outlets, like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, were filled with more shoppers than I've ever seen on Fifth Avenue in New York.
I felt slightly unworthy wearing Crocs.
Needing a crowd break, I trekked 10 minutes to the mall's Chinatown, home to a huge food hall, spa, and Instagrammable backdrops.
Newly opened in March, Chinatown was the emptiest area of the mall.
I sat down to eat noodles and strategize my next few hours.
I plotted a route to take me through the many shops.
Instead of zigzagging across the mall, I decided to work my way through it floor by floor, focusing on the more affordable stores. I hit all the mall staples, including H&M, Zara, Abercrombie, and Sephora.
Unlike your standard mall in 2023, these stores are all packed.
The chains all stock products similar to those available in the UK and the US, just priced slightly higher to accommodate the exchange rate.
There are a few over-the-top features that are very Dubai, such as a massive indoor waterfall and a replica of a traditional souk ...
The first time I visited, I was totally dazzled by these kinds of details.
Would all of Dubai be this extravagant? Now I know the answer is 'yes,' the main thing I notice is the crowds gathered around them with their phones out.
... as well as a large dinosaur skeleton hanging from the ceiling.
Aside from these features, it all feels very American. From Bloomingdale's to Dave's Hot Chicken, Dubai Mall is home to many chains I've only seen in the US.
Judging by the size of the Reese's section at Candylicious World, the mall's audience is either people who are fascinated by or familiar with American culture.
Chowing down in a Texas Roadhouse in the shadows of Burj Khalifa is a surreal experience.
By 5 p.m., locals started to mix with the tourists and the shops became unbearably busy.
Queues formed to get onto the escalators, and I began to feel overwhelmed, so I went to the aquarium.
You can see some Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo enclosures from the Cheesecake Factory or outside the Missguided store without paying to enter the aquarium.
I bought a 199 dirhams ticket, about $50, to get full access to the 33,000 animals on display. Exhibits include penguins and an underwater tunnel.
I emerged at 7 p.m. having walked 14,567 steps. I felt like I'd spent the day at a theme park rather than a mall; I was completely exhausted.
I made my way to the Dubai Fountains where water displays are choreographed to music at 7 p.m. every night. Outside, crowds went from bad to worse. With most of my sight line blocked by iPhones, I called it a day.
Dubai Mall is more of an entertainment complex than a mall.
It can feel overwhelming and your wallet will suffer, but go with the mindset that you're experiencing a taste of the Dubai spectacle and you won't be disappointed.
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