The Dubai gold souk is world renowned and on my first strip there many years ago I parted with a lot of money. On first sight the glitter of the shops can induce dizziness and that’s before you start spending money!!

The souk itself is an area of side streets, mini malls and the main area and as I have said earlier it can overcome you with the crowds and the hot weather.

I am fortunate that my wife is knowledgeable about her jewellery and she does not spend money at the first shop she encounters. Normally we will visit several shops to look around. Although it feels like several dozen to me. My wife will look around, ask for prices, and do some mild bartering.

I suppose the fact that she is knowledgeable does help that she will be taken seriously. When she is ready to buy she will return later for some hard haggling and we always end up going to some of the regular shops that we tend to visit each time we go to Dubai.

Most of the shop owners and people who work here are from the Indian sub continent. The range of jewellery in the shops is extensive but there is always a concentration of Asian designed jewellery and price is based on example of the daily price of gold per ounce with the price of craftsmanship added on (which should be no more than 20 dirham’s per ounce).

I cannot stress the importance of bartering, as these shops seem to stick a price on the jewellery seemingly plucked from the air. The final bartered price could be as much as 70% less.

I suppose a lot of people visit the souk to look around but most end up purchasing something at the end.

The Gold Souk in Dubai is worth a look. The prices are cheaper than many other parts of the world, but you need to really haggle to get the best price. Never believe it when someone says you don't need to haggle in their shop as their prices are already low.... of course they are not.

There are many stores, but they all sell similar items, so it pays to shop around. Haggle them down as far as they will go, and say that you are going to keep shopping but may come back to the store later. They will normally reduce price either further upon hearing this, and you can compare the prices between stores. This is how you really do end up getting cheaper jewellery than in other countries.

Be wary of reviews of individual stores - I have noticed a few, but doubt their authenticity.

Also watch out for rogue traders - you will get approached numerous times by people wanting to sell you fake watches and handbags. They will inevitably take you down a back alley and into a building then shut the door to stop prying police eyes.

The gold souq is a very interesting place to go see when your in Dubai. Word of advice, don't bother driving there yourself during rushhour...traffic and parking is very bad and a headache! Get a Taxi to easily drop you off and pick one up. My three hour visit to the Gold Souq was enjoyabe even if your not crazy about jewerly and not buying any. It was a neat place to walk around and take pictures of all the shiney window displays. Although the Gold Souq has lots of gold, the boutiques do sell pearls, silver, and precious gems. Also they have small gift items made of gold. I saw a gold baby pacifier,... so much for the saying...'Born with a silver spoon in the mouth'. The gold souq was definetly a place to head too in Dubai and there is plenty to see and easily to get lost when you walk in the busy district outside the souq. I was trying to find the spice souq but ended up a bit turned around. So get a really good map! I went in the evening and the whole area is very busy, so be careful when crossing the roads. There tons of cheap shops to buy shoes, beautiful fabrics, electronics, and gifts, etc. The whole area is swarming with people, mostly Indians, so at times it feels like little India. The area is not exactly good looking and it looks like old Dubai, so leave the high heels and fancy outfit for another place. Oh yes, please wear comfortable shoes, you will be doing a lot of walking! And if you go to the gold souq in the summer or in hot weather, go exploring at night. Overall, it's was fun but the next time I will take a friend along with me.

Take the bus to get there if you are in Deira or at the City center. The bus terminal is right accross the Gold Souk entrance. One thing is sure you should take a taxi to go back to your hotel where ever you are even if you are staying in Deira. A magnificient watch for the eyes. Bargain is the key word if you want to buy. Tell the vendor your price and say sorry and walk away slowly he will sure call you back they can't resist the cash money!!
Have fun because you will never see such a souk in America or North America!!