Miles of Malls

We arrived in Dubai last night and even though it was after 11 pm, it was extremely hot, like living in a hothouse.


This morning after breakfast, we checked out the rooftop pool – the water was like a warm bath. They actually have to cool it. The sun lounges under the umbrellas did not look inviting so what did we do?

We went shopping. The air conditioned Metro station is 1 minute walk from our hotel. We caught the air conditioned train to Mall of the Emirates which you walk to from the station via a moving footway in an air conditioned covered walkway straight into the shops. There are 472 shops but we did not actually visit them all. We did spend nearly 2 hours in one shop! It is almost the end of the annual Summer Shopping Festival but we were able to help the economy just a little.

Apart from the shops, cinemas and children’s entertainment, Mall of the Emirates has the world’s largest indoor ski slope! We watched a chairlift taking skiers up to the slope to ski down. We saw people throwing snowballs and parents towing kids on toboggans while wearing parkas, gloves and boots – over their traditional dress! Outside the temperature was in the high 40’s but on the snow field, it was cold. To complete the scene, there was a large snowman, Christmas trees with fairy lights and a snow cave for children to play in.

We visited several other malls, did some more shopping and took the air conditioned Metro to the end of the line where the skyscrapers give way to the desert. We also visited the Deira area of Dubai where they were actually cheaper not dearer! A great way to spend a day.

                                        Gail shopping in the Mall of the Emirates.

The city gradually gives way to desert.

On the snow fields inside the mall.  Other malls had sandpits and paddle pools because it is just too hot to play outside.

The architecture in this city is absolutely fascinating.

Mall of the Emirates entry.