The United Arab Emirates is not a country that can please you with a large selection of national souvenirs. This is due to the fact that since ancient times the state has been located at the crossroads of trade routes and mainly traditional themes for eastern countries prevail here.
Among the most popular national souvenirs are various figurines and camel figurines. The most varied materials are used for their manufacture: wood, plastic, metal, glass. Some camels have a metal base and are covered genuine leather. On average, the cost of such figures varies from 3 to 30 dollars.
Various incense are very popular souvenirs. In the Emirates, the most popular incense is “Bakhoor”. By appearance These are small wooden figures or soft balls that are mounted on special devices powered by electricity. When exposed to heat, the incense begins to emit pleasant aromas. This category of souvenirs includes arab perfume on oil based. These perfumes have been extremely popular since ancient times and now their aroma is in no way inferior to the best European perfumes. The peculiarity of Arabic perfumes is that they are applied exclusively to the body, as they can leave stubborn oily stains on clothes. The cost of a small bottle of such perfume is 13-15 dollars, but in fact the price range is very wide and you can even find perfume that will cost only a few euros, but the quality will be appropriate.
An original souvenir from the UAE will be sand. What else can you bring from a country, most of which is covered with sand? We are not talking about ordinary loose sand, but about sand that was brought from seven emirates of the country and collected in glass bottles. The sand of each emirate has its own shades and color scheme, so the bottle produces a beautiful color pattern that will be a pleasant reminder of your trip to this sandy country.
You can't ignore oriental sweets. For some they may seem like a banal souvenir, but in reality they are not. You won’t be able to buy such delicious sweets here, but the Emirates offer a huge selection: sherbet, halva, Turkish delight. Most often, tourists buy dates and not only in pure form, but also with almonds inside, in honey, in chocolate and in other variations. There are specialized stores in the country that sell only dates. The prices for such products are somewhat steep; for 150 grams of dates you will have to pay about ten dollars.
In the UAE, as well as in any other eastern country, you will find a large selection of different spices. You need to buy them not in souvenir shops or supermarkets, but in specialized markets that offer a huge assortment of quality spices (tourists hear many names of spices for the first time).
Tourists often bring home Arabic coffee and various items for drinking coffee. For Arabs, drinking coffee is a real ritual; they do not drink instant coffee, but only drink natural coffee, not in its pure form, but with the addition of cardamom, as a result of which the drink acquires a unique taste and bitterness (you won’t drink this kind of coffee every day, but a certain you can buy quantity). Among the items that are used for drinking coffee, copper teapots can be distinguished, but when purchasing them, you need to be careful not to buy a souvenir teapot, which will only be suitable for interior decoration and not for its intended use.
The Emirates offer a large selection of weapons, including antique ones, but if you want to buy such a gift, you first need to inquire about the rules for exporting weapons from the country and importing them into Russia. Tourists often recklessly buy daggers, knives and other weapons, and then they have problems at the border and it turns out that their money is wasted. It is best to buy weapons in special weapons stores, whose sellers understand the intricacies of transportation and know all necessary documents for your product.
The country offers good choice souvenirs for smokers. And it's not just about different types tobacco, but also devices for smoking it. These can be different pipes, hookahs and other smoking devices.
Already wrote it. It's mainly food.
And now it’s time to write about my catches from another country I visited - the UAE. Probably, now this post will not be entirely relevant, because in the summer only self-torturers and extreme sports enthusiasts go to the desert) But as long as the memories are in my head and the photos are intact, perhaps, let it be. Whoever gets it together will find it using the tags.
In my opinion, there is nothing special to bring from the Emirates: fruits that can be picked or bought do not grow there, sheep and grapes are not grown there to stock up on their derivatives, there are no authentic industries there, for example, a carpet or tableware factory - because everything ready can be bought for oil money. Even sand for beaches is brought in. Desert sand is no good for them) In short, why should the Arabs bother?!
But you can still find something authentic that reflects Arab life. YOU know, in the emirates there are no tourist retail outlets, like on every embankment in Crimea and some abroad. Souvenirs are sold exclusively in shopping centers and in the markets. And there is a pattern - the closer to some attraction, the more expensive it is. It’s cheaper only in the Al Karama Souq market (in the slums) and (!!!) in duty-free.
Souvenirs and gifts. I won’t show magnets and plates on the wall - there are tons of them everywhere in every store, and everyone buys them as gifts for colleagues and friends. We bought this one for ourselves leather camel(and they also come in glass, wood, tin) and Aladdin's lamp. These are cute little things that symbolize the Arab world.
You can buy something useful as a gift tea spoons with handles in the form of landmarks(for example, the Parus Hotel, but I gave it as a gift without having time to take a photo), all sorts of pens And notebooks with prints of views of the UAE.
For girls (mother, friend, sister) stoles, pashminas and scarves definitely buy! They are quite inexpensive there and are woven from different materials- silk, cashmere and even fur! I bought myself and my sister this soft and warm one made from natural cashmere.
In general, if you have space in the house or you are fans of role-playing games, then you can buy something larger. This photo from the dutik is a whole collective Arabic image. Well, so that people know exactly what to buy as a souvenir after their trip. It is obvious here that you need to bring it home embroidered clothes, silk scarves, hookahs, lanterns, coffee pots and teapots, painted trays, jewelry, chests and boxes, shoes (but they are not visible under the dress). Well, it's beautiful! Only we, for example, have nowhere to store it)
Oriental sweets:nougat, Turkish delight, halva, sherbet, dates. These sweets were also brought from nearby Arab countries, but what makes them different is that they are not so sickly sweet! We brought a lot, distributed it and ate it quickly)
Fruits. A photo not taken in a timely manner cannot illustrate the fruit stands of the Emirates. But, take my word for it, fruits from neighboring countries are incredibly tasty! Mangoes and papaya are completely different from those sold in Russia. For fruit, go to the vegetable market (there is one in Dubai).
Sand paintings in bottles. Sold in hotel souvenir shops and at points along excursion routes. It turns out that these are the sands of seven emirates. But for me, this is purely a marketing gimmick. Well, seven, and then what?) There’s only one desert! But it's beautiful, yes.
If you are interested in shopping in the Emirates, then its capital is Dubai, of course! Head to the Dubai Mall, the Mall of the Emirates, the gold souk and free tours of the fur markets, where prices are lower than world prices. Gold and furs didn’t excite me, so our light shopping took place in
Due to the fact that Dubai is one of the international trade centers, here you can purchase not only national goods, but also things from other countries. The main thing is to find them. Because there are so many places for shopping here that there may simply not be enough time for everything.
So, let's look at what you can bring from the UAE.
Foods and drinks that can be brought from the UAE
The most common products that tourists from all over the world bring home from the Emirates are oriental sweets. They sell them here in abundance, and they are all fresh and real, that is, the taste has almost nothing in common with those that lie on our shelves. The thing is that the “oriental sweets” that we sell are only an attempt to reproduce the real taste. These sweets include:
- nougat;
- Turkish delight of various varieties;
- halva;
- sherbet;
- baklava;
- dates.
Dates in general are a separate product, used by the Arabs in a particularly diverse manner. They are used to make candy, jam and other special treats.
Be sure to buy dates from Arabian Delights. They are sold in blue boxes or bags at any supermarket or kiosk. These are dates with almonds inside and a layer of chocolate on the outside.
In addition, here you can buy real coffee, which you don’t see very often here. A wide selection of varieties, good quality are the distinctive advantages of purchasing here. In addition, you may find species that you have never heard of.
Although, most often on store shelves you will find familiar cans of “local” Nescafe. By the way, there will be a reason to compare Russian coffee of this brand with foreign ones.
Be sure to try exotic fruits that you definitely won’t find in Russia. For example, mangosteen is brought here from neighboring countries. Under the hard skin you will find a fruit that looks similar to garlic. This is a real delicacy, juicy and sweet in taste.
If you love to cook, then not buying spices would be a big omission. Everyone knows that the people of the East are famous for their ability to cook dishes with special tastes. And their secret is in the seasonings. In the UAE you can buy any type of oriental spices.
Clothes and shoes
Fur coats are popular among tourists here. Indeed, models from branded manufacturers and simply high-quality fur coats are much cheaper here than in our country. Be careful when purchasing: there is a chance that an illiterate Arabic the tourist will be sold a cheap fake instead of an expensive brand.
In fact, deceiving a buyer in the UAE is punishable, but you can blame the situation on translation difficulties, right? Remember this when shopping, and prepare in advance - learn to distinguish real quality.
Remember! In the United Arab Emirates, compliance with certain rules is very strict. One of them: tourists do not have the right to wear Arab national clothing. The ban applies to the Emirates themselves, but no one will forbid you to buy it for yourself or as a gift.
Dubai's shopping centers amaze with their grandeur. You will find all the famous clothing brands there: Austin, Mango, Mexx and others. But the difference between Russian stores will be visible to the naked eye: the store premises are larger and the range of clothing is wider. In terms of prices, the difference will be insignificant.
Perfumes and cosmetics
The choice of goods in this direction is also huge, but you shouldn’t grab everything - we have enough of this goodness. Please pay special attention to oriental perfumes with aroma oils. They are significantly different in smell from what Paris offers us, but we cannot say that they are worse.
You can also find fakes of famous French brands here at a ridiculous price. You can’t tell them apart by their smell, the only problem is that they disappear just as quickly as regular eau de toilette. We do not recommend purchasing such products. Many of them can be hazardous to health.
It's better to postpone these purchases until you leave. After all, on the way back you can visit the largest Duty Free (if you are flying from Dubai). Here you definitely won’t find fakes and prices for perfumes will be lower than in Russian stores.
Electronics from the UAE
From modern technology New models of plasma TVs are popular among tourists, which can be purchased here at lower prices. However, not everyone wants to carry such large goods. Again this technique Quite fragile to be carried in luggage.
But Apple products are very convenient to transport and popular among Russian tourists. New models of iPhones and iPads appear here earlier than officially in Russian stores. And their cost in the UAE may greatly surprise you.
In local electronics stores you will find iPhones for one and a half times cheaper. But be careful! Such an iPhone may be tied to a specific local telecom operator. Accordingly, you will not be able to use it in Russia.
Souvenir products
Souvenirs brought from the UAE can be either useful or just trinkets. Useful items, for example, include utensils for making coffee. As mentioned above, this drink is loved and appreciated here.
Bottles containing the sands of the seven emirates are incredibly popular. There are seven of them, and in each grain of sand they are laid out in a special way. Also, literally on every corner, camel figurines are sold - made of clay, gold, rag, ceramic. Tourists who come with children buy soft toys- plush camels.
The gold market has both jewelry and souvenirs. Silver products are sold here, as well as gems. Prices are lower than world prices, but we repeat again - beware of deception.
Contact your tour guide. Perhaps they will have contacts of people who can help with the selection and purchase of precious items.
The original purchase was an incense called “bakhur”. Molded into balls or figures, they are placed on a special stand, which is plugged into an outlet. It heats up the incense and gives off a pleasant aroma.
On excursions such as jeep safaris, you can purchase an arafatka, a large checkered scarf that serves as a practical headdress in desert conditions.
These are the main things that are popular. And besides them, you can find a lot more interesting things to suit your taste in specialized souvenir shops, the names of which contain the word “Gifts”.
We wish you successful shopping in Dubai - all conditions are created for it here.
For hundreds of years, the inhabitants of Arabia ate dates and camel milk. And these days, camel milk is no less popular among the indigenous people of the UAE than cow milk. In the world over the past 20 years, the popularity of camel milk has grown, because it is considered healthier.
For Russian tourists, camel milk is interesting because it is very difficult to try it in Russia. Bringing it from the UAE may be a problem. Pasteurization of camel milk was invented relatively recently; not every supermarket now offers milk with a long shelf life, and fresh milk has a shelf life of only 5 days.
Price per liter – 15-17 dirhams. It's better to buy in supermarkets.
Al Nassma chocolates with camel milk have become one of the business cards UAE (pictured on the left, click on photo to enlarge). These sweets are not cheap - about 100 dirhams for a 100 gram bar. We recommend the most popular type of chocolate in the shape of camels.
Dairy products are also interesting. Yoghurt, cottage cheese, and butter are made from camel milk. Relatively recently (in 2013), they learned how to make hard cheeses from camel milk. The price of camel cheese is 40 dirhams per 200 gram package.
The most famous brand of camel milk and products in the UAE is Camelicious, we recommend their products first.
Bakhur incense and oud oil perfume
These are gifts imbued with the spirit of the United Arab Emirates, both literally and figuratively.
Bakhur is agarwood incense that is burned at home in special “mabkhara” incense burners. There are countless varieties of bakhoor sold in the UAE. Each manufacturer creates their own unique scents. Bakhur is sold in bulk, in round tablets or briquettes similar to chocolate. In the photo below, click on the photo to enlarge.
The price of bakhoor is about 20 dirhams for a package of 40 grams. It is better to buy at perfume markets, where the range is wider than in stores.
The price of a mabkhara incense burner starts from 30 dirhams, depending on the material of the product and the decor, which can even be made of gold with precious stones.
Oud is an oil made from agarwood. Expensive perfumes with unique aromas are made from this oil. Most famous brand perfumes in the UAE are called Ajmal Perfumes, we recommend looking for it first. You can also buy scented candles with oud oil and the oil itself in 3-milliliter packages.
The price of perfumes is from 400 dirhams to infinity. We recommend buying in specialized stores.
Camel meat
Arabs from the Persian Gulf do not eat camel meat every day; it is cooked only on holidays. For this reason, you can’t buy camel meat in every store, and the prices are steep.
We consider this gift very dubious. Camel meat tastes like beef, something unique beneficial properties No. We recommend just trying some camel meat dish in a restaurant, getting your share of impressions and stopping there.
Many people think that life in the United Arab Emirates is a real paradise. In fact, this is not entirely true, because most of the country is a desert with harsh conditions, and only a small part of the Emirates is located in large oases.
The natural environment of the UAE allows for the cultivation of dates. It is not comfortable for animals to live here; camels are an exception to the rule. What can you bring from the Emirates, if not dates? In fact, you can bring a lot of interesting and unusual things, let’s talk about everything in order.
Dates
Dates are considered one of the most popular gifts for Russian tourists. There are many varieties of these “delicacies” that have different prices. The fact is that the climatic conditions on the Arabian Peninsula are such that it is simply stupid not to grow dates.
If you find yourself in the UAE, buy dates with caution, as this country also has imported goods from Egypt and Iran. The price of Emirati dates ranges from 30 dirhams per kilogram. The most famous varieties are: Kalas, Barkhi, Mezhdul, Fard and Shesh. You can buy dates almost everywhere; they are sold at the market, in supermarkets, and souvenir shops. There are even special boutiques in the United Arab Emirates that sell confectionery with dates.
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Camel milk, products using it
For a long time, the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula “pressed” on dates and camel milk. Nowadays, the popularity of camel milk in the Emirates is even greater than cow milk. It’s tasty and healthy, but getting it there safe and sound is not an easy task. The fact is that pasteurization of milk in the UAE began quite recently, and fresh milk has a shelf life of up to 5 days. A liter of camel milk costs around 15-17 dirhams.
An unusual product in the Emirates is chocolate bars with the addition of camel milk. The price of such “sweets” is 1 dirham per gram. Camel milk can be used to make cheeses, yoghurts, cottage cheese, and butter. Camel cheese is not cheap; 200 grams of the product will empty your wallet by 40 dirhams.
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Bakhur, oud and oil perfumes
Bakhur is an interesting incense containing agarwood. It is usually burned at home in a special incense burner called “mabhara”. In the UAE, bakhoor is very popular; there are many varieties. Various manufacturers trying to get their unforgettable aroma. The cost of a package of bakhoor is 20 dirhams per 40 grams. It is better to buy this product at the perfume market, there is a wide range available there. Mabhara costs 30 dirhams, but can be more expensive. Its price is influenced by the material of manufacture, decor, decorations.
Oud is an oil obtained from agarwood. This product is used in the production of luxurious perfumes. The most famous perfumes in the UAE are Ajmal Perfumes. Prices for quality perfume in the UAE start from 400 dirhams.
Camel meat
Camel meat is not a meat that is eaten daily in the Emirates. It is customary to prepare it in holidays, so it is not always sold, and not everywhere.
A gift of this kind is questionable, because the meat is very similar to beef and does not have any super useful properties. Better try camel meat in a restaurant and get your own impressions. Transporting camel meat is not an easy task, as fresh meat may not be cleared at customs, and ice cream may spoil.
Camel meat is not cheap, from 60 to 200 dirhams per kilogram.
Coffee and coffee pot
You've probably heard of Arabica coffee. This shows once again how much this drink influences Arab culture.
However, the famous variety of coffee is not from the Persian Gulf country; the birthplace of Arabica is Ethiopia. There are no great opportunities for growing coffee in the Emirates; it is only available on special type plantations. The Arabs were among the first to appreciate coffee and began to trade it.
It is difficult to imagine the culture of the UAE without the national coffee pot “dalla”; it can even be found on coins. It is often called the Bagdan kettle or bay kettle.
This gift is very colorful, but is more suitable as decoration. Brewing coffee in such a coffee pot is inconvenient. For these purposes, it is better to buy thermoses that are similar in style to “dallu”.
Khanzhar
Few people have not heard of the traditional Arabic dagger, which has a curved sheath. Bringing such a gift to Russia is extremely dangerous, since a dagger is a bladed weapon, you may have problems at customs. Prices for daggers of this type range from 40 dirhams. Emirati royalty likes to decorate their daggers with ivory, gold or silver.
Besar - spices from the Arabs
The United Arab Emirates does not have any well-known national spices, but it does have its own seasonings. Bezar is an interesting flavored mixture often found in Emirati dishes.
Besar contains: dill, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, fenugreek, coriander. You can prepare bezar yourself, but it is better to buy it.
Sweets of the East
Oriental sweets are considered to be: sherbet, praise, halva, lokum, omm-ali. We advise you to buy lukaimat; it consists of flour balls coated with sesame seeds or honey.
Russian tourists like the chibab flatbread with dates; it is filled with date filling. Great gifts There will be: halva, praise and delight. The largest place for selling sweets is Dubai. The most famous candy store is called Candylicious.
Electronics
In the emirates, prices for electronics are lower, since this country has a low customs duty, it is equal to 5 percent. No income tax is charged, and VAT is kept at five percent. The trade markup on goods varies from seller to seller, so we have no guarantee that you will buy an iPhone much cheaper than in Russia.
Souvenirs
A huge part of the souvenirs are in the shape of a camel. In the Emirates you can buy magnets, interesting figurines, plush toys. The prices here are as follows:
- magnet - 5-20 dirhams;
- figurine - 5-50 dirhams;
- plush toy – 20-200 dirhams
Tourists often buy T-shirts with slogans about Dubai. The most famous inscription is: “I love Dubai”.
In the Emirates, both euros and dollars are accepted, but it is better to have the national currency - dirhams. Don’t rush to make purchases in the first days, take a closer look at the prices. It is better to buy alcohol at Duty free. It is better to buy Eastern sweets in supermarkets; everything is expensive in shopping centers.
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