Chanel stores, mega-malls, gold and spice markets all entice shopping enthusiasts to Dubai.

The best time of year to pack those empty suitcases and head for The Shopping Capital of the Gulf is January. Stores city-wide have sales during the annual Dubai Shopping Festival (January-February every year, www.mydsf.com ). The festival is one of the year’s biggest draws.

Any time of year, enjoy duty-free shopping in malls and outdoor souk bazaars. It’s nearly impossible to cover all the shopping possibilities this tolerant, laid back city offers – there are more than fifty malls, with more being built all the time.

Top malls

BurJuman Centre (+9714/352-0222; www.burjuman.com ) Dior, Hermes, Cartier, Valentino and Versace

Deira Mall (+9714/295-4545)

Mall of the Emirates Mall of the Emirates

This mall opened early in 2006 and is one of the ten largest malls in the world. Effectively that means it's comprehensive, spacious, and there really isn't THAT much need to go anywhere else.

At one end you'll find a large Carrefour Supermarket and 'Jumbo' electrical retailers. In the middle you'll find Debenhams, Harvey Nichols and the Kempinski Hotel. And at the other end is an entertainment complex with cinemas, restaurants and the famous indoor ski slope (about 400 metres, with real snow).

Throughout the hotel there are comfortable seating areas for when you just need to take a break, and plenty of coffee shops and eateries.

Ibn Battuta Mall IBN Battuta

The Ibn Battuta Mall is quite a long way out of town,  past the Mall of the Emirates, past Internet City and past the Hard Rock Cafe. But it's worth a trip if only to marvel at the architecture. 

The Ibn Battuta is effectively six malls, all with a different theme (China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, Andalucia) based on the travels of a 14th Century explorer. The shops are much as you would find elsewhere in Dubai (indeed anywhere in the world - including Debenhams (again) and BHS), but it's the sheer bravado of the place that makes it special. From the full sized Chinese Junk in the China mall - which also houses the multiscreen cinema - to the replica dome in the Persian mall, and the perfect pylons outside the Egyptian mall.

Unlike the Mall of the Emirates, the Ibn Battuta is all one one level, which makes it easier for the less mobile, but also a long trek.

Souks
Gold, Spice and Perfume Souks. During the Shopping Festival, a Night Souk opens from 8pm-2am, selling everything from clothes to cosmetics. Keep in mind there are often better bargains if you pay cash during souk ‘negotiations’ and that the weekend falls Thursday and Friday.

Al Ghurair City

This is a relatively small shopping Mall located at Deira. It was established in early 1980's. The neat shopping mall has outlets of some major consumer brands. It also has a lovely food court and a big cineplex.

For more suggestions and tips on all kinds of shopping in Dubai, visit the Shopping In Red blog and the Dubai City Guide website.