Gold Souk

Go for a walk down the narrow streets and alleyways of the Gold Souk, where row upon row of shop windows are filled with gold, platinum and diamonds. Hundreds of stores sell everything from tiny precious stones and pearls, to heavy golden bracelets and necklaces. Most of the jewelry is between 21 and 24 carat, and nothing is less than 18 carat.Gold is priced according to weight. Jewelry prices are rarely displayed in the windows, so sharpen your bargaining skills and haggle with the proprietor. Once you have been given a price, ask for a further discount for paying with cash. There are plenty of bargains available. The main attraction of the Gold Souk is that gold prices are among the lowest in the world. You can also buy gold bars for investment some shops will accept trade of old gold for new gold. The daily gold rate in the souk is based on the day’s international gold rate and is displayed in many shop windows.Even if you don’t want to buy something new, shiny and expensive, the Gold Souk is well worth a visit, just to see so much opulence in one place.The best time to visit is in the evening when the temperature is cooler, the atmosphere is livelier and the jewelry looks even more stunning as it reflects the street and shop lights.The Gold Souk is located in the commercial district of Deira. It can be difficult to find a good parking spot near the souk but there are several alternative transportation options. Take a taxi, bus or the metro. If you are coming from Bur Dubai, you can jump in a water taxi (an abra) along Dubai Creek. The journey takes about 10 minutes.The Gold Souk is open daily. Most of the jewelry stores tend to open at 10 a.m. and close at approximately 10 p.m. They are also closed between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. On Friday, the shops open at 4 p.m.