If you thought the backstreet shops of Abu Dhabi were full of useless junk that you’d never dream of purchasing, you’re wrong. Hidden among the sea of dingy cafés, mobile phone shops and pharmacies lies the odd gem of a store packed with cool curios and unique products. Here at Time Out, we’ve courageously trawled the streets to bring you our pick of the city’s most unusual shops. In fact, you may never need to visit the mainstream shopping malls again.
Game for a laugh
Ignore the ropey ‘fashion’ outlets on the Hamed Centre’s ground floor, head up two flights of escalators and you’ll suddenly find yourself in nerd nirvana. There are around 20 games shops in total, but with the latest titles for every platform, a mind-boggling array of accessories and plenty of ‘behind the counter’ goods, this one trumps the lot. Just remember to scope out some prices from the shop’s neighbours so that you’ve got some bargaining power when it comes to striking a deal. And get your picture with the massive Mario statue, obviously.
Third floor, Hamed Centre, Electra Street, near New Airport Road (02 634 4378).
Ye olde bicycles
Not so much vintage as discontinued, this place carries bicycles that have been made, and cannot be unmade. Between the handful of pretty decent mountain bikes and accessories, you’ll find two and four-wheelers in colours and models that should not have left the Chinese production line; the same models your parents bought from the second-hand store when you were five. There are good bikes to be had, but even better nostalgia; head down and pick up that pink number we couldn’t afford, and take a camera. The embarrassing photography will make great blackmail material when your kids have grown up.
Middle East Bicycle Trading, Post Office Road, Madinat Zayed (050 541 5170).
Cartoon crazy?
The capital’s manga aficionados will find their way to this tiny store sooner or later. You can spend a whole afternoon browsing the English and Japanese DVDs, which include a oh-so-sought-after box set of ninja hero Naruto, selling for Dhs3,800. A small selection of cool tees, cushions, posters and keyrings are also on display, featuring popular anime characters. Kawaii!
Japanese Animation and Manga, Khalifa Centre, Tourist Club Area (050 512 0393).
Pump that iron
If you’ve been avoiding the weighing scales in your bathroom for weeks, while your belt’s beginning to feel the strain of your swelling belly, it’s probably time to pay Fitworx a visit. Hidden in the backstreets of Khalidiyah, this huge store has the largest collection of health equipment we’ve seen in the capital, including power balls, rowing and running machines, kettle bells and medicine balls, all here to help you ditch those excess pounds and slip back into those figure hugging clothes you once wore with pride.
Fitworx, Khalidiyah Street, Khalidiyah (02 667 2090).
Music to our ears
Music shops might not be particularly rife in the capital, but ask any musician who’s ever snapped a string and they’ll tell you this is the only place in the city worth checking out. Guitars are their speciality, with a strong range of acoustic, classical and electric models to choose from. Don’t be intimidated by the massive amps and dial-laden mixing decks, though – a decent entry-level axe can be picked up for Dhs500, while a bit of gentle haggling should see you bag a few essential accessories at a healthy discount. You’ll need to recruit your own screaming groupies, mind.
Thomsun Electronics, Hamdan Street, near Salaam Street (02 677 9230).
They sell.. what?
They sell posters, and we mean a lot of posters. They also have an equally massive collection of postcards and pop-outs. Think you’ve got the theme figured? Think again: Posters carries everything from cats in bags to gadgets, decorations and bizarre electronics. Plasma lamps, singing toys and fridge magnets are scattered all over the place. There’s also an incredible selection of colourful and semi-precious stones stacked right at the entrance.
Posters, Tourist Club area (02 672 4724).
The right notes
Let your nose draw you into this sweet-smelling perfumery where notes of rose, sandalwood and jasmine hang heavy in the air. One of the first stores to open on the first floor of the Souk at Central Market, Ahmed Al Maghribi sells international perfumes, a selection of oud wood chips and, of course, bottles and bottles of glamorous Arabian fragrances. Brand names everyone will recognise – Gucci Rush, Burberry Weekend, Caroline Herrera 212 Sexy to name a few – are sold in plain packaging so they only cost around Dhs100. Bargain! The Arabian scents are available separately or blended.
Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes, Souk at Central Market (02 622 8739).
Porcelain people
Gift shops are a dime a dozen, and often carry items worth significantly less. But every once in a while something catches our eye, and in this instance it was a line of porcelain camels, and figurines in the Emirati traditional garb. Some are salt shakers, others cookie bins, and all phenomenally adorable. And while that was our seller, we soon discovered one of the coolest lines of Abu Dhabi souvenirs we’ve spotted in a while, a perfect stop for expat mums on their way out of the country. The store itself is part hardware store, part supermarket and part gift shop; who said you had to specialise?
7Land, Madinat Zayed (02 639 2939).
Sweet as honey
Enter here all ye who wish to smell like dessert – the shelves are stacked high with lotions and potions made from fruits and honey. Many of their environmentally friendly and organic ranges are hard to come by elsewhere in the capital, including the Wild Ferns thermal mud products. But it’s the manuka honey range we keep coming back for. The lip balms, creams and serums contain high levels of the ingredient that’s purported qualities include antiseptic, antibiotic, wound-healing… the list goes on.
Laverne, Souk at Central Market (02 628 0456).
Store of soft
With layer upon layer of colour and texture, none of us had the slightest clue why we walked into this shop, and none of us could take our eyes off the wall. Textile stores are very popular round these parts, and often compete through nothing but displays. Newcomers Al Wifaq have been around for just over six months, but have already mastered the art of seducing clueless writers into purchasing fabric they’ll probably never use. It was just so soft and… pretty.
Al Wifaq Textiles, Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre (02 634 1775).
Art of glass
Never had the expression ‘bull in a china shop’ felt quite as personal as when we ventured cautiously into Kudu for Arts. Teacups, pots and plates of the most fragile tinted glass are precariously stacked next to a rather hostile sign stating: If broken, consider it sold. Fortunately, the products are as delicately beautiful as the notice is blunt – hand engraved with golden Arabic swirls and available in a palette of muted, sophisticated colours. Now watch the smoke rise from your credit card as you buy a set of glasses – we can assure you they don’t come cheap.
Kudu for Arts, Souk at Central Market (050 682 9096).
Dress to impress
The fabulous gowns in this shop are truly Disney-esque. Browse the racks of satin, silk and velvet floor-skimming dresses and you’ll find one show-stopper after another. Some are simple and elegant while other have fantastically bold embroidery and embellishments for the ladies who can carry it off. Designed for weddings and glamorous parties, the prices are around the eye-watering Dhs2,500 mark for a dress, which includes alterations to fit. But if you’re after something a bit more modest, Sahara Fashion is located next to a row of other textile shops that sell swathes of luxe material for dressmaking too.
Sahara Fashion, Opposite Souk at Central Market (02 622 0356)
Classy wraps
If it’s handmade, it has to be good. This place carries pashminas, handmade tablecloths and plenty of other carefully crafted pieces. Modern science has yet to figure out how to properly factor manual labour into price tags, and, to be safe, most retailers just hike it up a few hundred per cent. It won’t matter once you buy it anyway, it will pay for itself in admiration from your friends. The pièce de résistance is a beautiful traditional coffee kettle centrepiece – a steal at just under Dhs800.
Reshie Handicrafts, Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre (02 621 0737).
Rock solid
Located in a shabby-looking shop in a downtrodden building in Khalidiyah, this treasure trove of precious gems is a truly amazing find. Friendly owner Shafiq has been trading in the area for more than 20 years and has amassed a gleaming collection of some of the most stunning gemstones and crystals you’ll ever set eyes upon. Not only is his collection extensive, with a bit of intensive negotiation he’ll sell you the stones at rock bottom prices. Well worth popping into for a touch of haggling.
Al Mawaz Stones, Khalifa Street, Khalidiyah (02 671 2441).
Blown away
What better way to celebrate a special occasion than with some cheery-looking balloons? However, if you don’t have the lung capacity to blow up a vast quantity of the inflatable bags, then you should get on down to this Khalidiyah shop now. Here, they’ll create almost anything you like out of balloons, from archways to flags to maybe even a life-size replica of yourself. Not only will they create the balloon masterpiece, they’ll also deliver it right to your house.
Vidal Balloons, Behind ADCB, near Technical Scissors, Khalidiyah (02 666 9887).
A fine art
The backstreets of Khalidiyah are a mass of low-end cafes and clothing shops, so the last thing you’d expect to find is a cool little art gallery. Folklore is only the size of a small shop, but it’s absolutely packed with decent paintings in a variety of styles. The friendly owner, Kassim, will happily talk you through each of the pieces, discussing the artist who created them, as well as framing costs. On our last visit, we bought a charming oil painting of a local water scene for less than Dhs500.
Folklore Gallery, Sheikh Zayed the First Street, Khalidiyah (02 666 0361).
Cool for kids
What makes a baby happy? A bottle of milk, a cosy cot and the odd lullaby will suffice for most. But some parents think their bundle of joy deserves a lot more, and designer clothes and accessories become baby must-haves. Happy Baby in Khalidiyah firmly believes in blinging up your baby, and sells a good range of designer baby gear, including ranges by Dior, Monalisa Babywear and Lessy. It’s all pretty expensive, but at least your child’s sartorial sense will make other parents green with envy.
Happy Baby, Khalifa Street, Khalidiyah (02 632 3266).
Miracle gold
With all the great food in town it’s easy to forget nature’s basic goodies. This place hasn’t: they sell honey, plain and simple. Well, not so simple: they sell honey, beeswax, royal jelly, bizarre powders and plenty of honey-based products that promise to cure everything from arthritis to laziness. We went through painstaking research to test the latter claim, and are happy to announce it has been proven false by our panel of work-shy experts. Some of the honey is imported, and some is local; local is better.
Mujezat Al Shifa, Madinat Zayed (055 785 0658).
Nice ’n’ spicy
The giant piles of herbs, spices, nuts and sweets stacked outside the shop really add to the old-worldly vibe of the souk. You can’t help but leave with more goodies that you came in for, since the shop owner insists on opening all sorts of boxes to give you a sniff of the contents – vanilla pods, saffron and chunky cinnamon sticks. Dizzied by the appetising whiffs, we were persuaded into purchasing all sorts of weird and wonderful goodies for our kitchen. But if you’re more restrained than us, and only buy one thing, make sure it’s a bag of Muhammadi Rose tea. You won’t regret it.
Wadi Az Zafran, Souk at Central Market (02 628 2680).
The bee’s knees
Ever thought beekeeping might be a fun hobby? Maybe not, but the promise of homemade honey every morning surely outweighs the fear of the odd sting. This shop sells beehives, beekeeping clothes and equipment, while the owners can even hook you up with bee suppliers. If you’re not interested in the art of apiary, the store also stocks a vast range of honeys and royal jellies, as well as manuka honey – a New Zealand honey which apparently has amazing wound healing properties.
Bees Kingdom, Sheikh Zayed the First Street, Khalidiyah (02 666 8410).
Heart of China
Soy eggs, quick-noodles and chicken feet. That’s right, feet. There are quite a few Chinese restaurants in the city that stake a claim in authentic flavours – many of them rather successfully – but if you’ve been to China you’ll know better: the Chinese don’t spend nearly as much time in restaurants as we do, and they love their supermarket food. Well, they ought to anyway. This store sells steamed buns, a dozen flavours of noodles, biscuit, crisps, and strange Chinese cutlery that you’re more likely to display than use. For good measure, they also sell Chinese paper lanterns, which come in red, red, and red.
Zhujun International Trading, opposite Shoe Mart, Madinat Zayed (02 631 6061).
All about flowers
How we missed this giant metallic building in Khalidiyah for so long is a mystery, but now that we’ve found it we need not look elsewhere for our floral needs. Spread over two floors, the store is full of vases, flowers and plants that’ll scare hay fever sufferers away for good. They also design flower displays, should you ever need something a bit more creative than a bunch of roses. And while you’re there, why not pop into the on-site Starbucks while waiting for your floral masterpiece?
Behind Grand Store, Khalifa Street, Khalidiyah (02 6344227).
Italian design
From Ferrari sports cars to Armani suits, let’s face it, the Italians are pretty much the best designers in the world. But the nation’s excellence on the drawing board also extends to furniture, proof of which is Poltrono Frau, a small showroom tucked away near the Spinneys supermarket in Khalidiyah. The store may well sell the finest home accessories in the city, stocking a huge range of sleek, modernistic goods. It’s a world away from your flat-pack, self-assembled goods that start disintegrating the moment you’ve screwed the last bolt in.
Poltrono Frau, Opposite Spinneys, 6th Street & Corniche, Khalidiyah (02 635 9393).
Part of the furniture
Back when Dubai went bust, the chap behind used furnishings store Nefertiti rounded up all the furniture left over from the expat exodus, stuck it in a warehouse near the Corniche and has been making a tidy profit ever since. It’s a one-stop-shop for everything you might need for your house – beds, sofas, lamps, knick-knacks… the list goes on. Owner Ahmed seems to have a mental database of practically every item in the warehouse, so pop in, tell him what you’re after and let him make some recommendations. Alternatively you can browse the goods online. For just a little extra cost, he’ll also arrange for your new furniture to be delivered and assembled the same day.
Nefertiti, Corner of Corniche and Khaleej al Arabi Street, www.useditemsuae.com (050 641 9861).
All sewn up
Dab hand with a needle and thread? Add this haberdashery to your little black book immediately. There’s a whole room full of buttons, lace ribbons, sequins, diamantes and every other adornment you could dream up at very low prices. If you’re not too confident customising your clothes yourself, the shopkeepers who double up as tailors will do it for you. They also do adjustments and alterations here and are always meticulously careful to get it right.
Noor Al Balooshi, Hamdan Street (behind Masala Magic).
