Dubai Mall – The World’s Shopping Giant

The Dubai Mall, located in the heart of Downtown Dubai, is one of the largest and most luxurious shopping centers in the world. It features over 1,200 retail outlets, world-class attractions, and direct access to the Burj Khalifa.

Main Attractions:

• Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo – massive tank with sharks and rays
• Olympic-sized Ice Rink
• VR Park – virtual reality theme park
• KidZania – kids’ educational play city
• Dubai Fountain – musical water show

🔹 Fun Facts:

Visitors per year: Over 100 million

Opened: 2008

Size: 500,000 m²

Parking: Over 14,000 spaces

OverviewDive into the fun of Dubai Snow Park with this all-day Ski Dubai Polar Pass. Head inside the Ski Dubai indoor center and enjoy the magical Snow Park zone for as long as you want. Roll down slopes in a giant snowball-globe, ride toboggans, and watch a penguin parade. Your Snow Park Ski Dubai ticket also includes a chairlift ride, use of cold-weather clothes, plus a helmet for children under 13. Entrance to the ski area is not included.Full-day Polar Pass to the Snow Park at Ski DubaiLet loose on this family-friendly snow zone, the world’s largest indoor snow parkRide a toboggan and zoom down the twin-track bobsledPlay interactive games in the snow cavern and polish your snowballing skillsWatch the March of the Penguins, when real-life penguins walk across the snowEnjoy chairlift use and set your adrenaline rushing with entry to the Giant Snowball ride and a faster bobsled

What is Dubai Mall?

The Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the United Arab Emirates. Open since 2008, it covers an area of ​​over twelve million square feet and is home to over 1,200 different retail units.

As you can already tell from its size, Dubai Mall offers everything you could possibly be looking for. From the entrance to the Burj Khalifa or its huge ice rink to numerous fashion and other stores.

On average, it welcomes eighty million people a year. Although exact figures are not publicly available, the company that owns it has reported annual revenues of over $1.33 billion. It is reasonable to assume that the Dubai Mall accounts for most of that revenue.

Where is Dubai Mall?

The legendary mall is located in Downtown Dubai, the most prestigious area in the entire city. Since the mall is connected to the Burj Khalifa, finding landmarks is easy – you can see it from almost anywhere in the city.

Right next to the attraction you’ll find dozens of hotels, an observatory with views of the sky, and several restaurants, although the mall itself will likely have everything you need.

What are the best ways to get there?

As you would expect from such a huge tourist attraction and a hub for thousands of people, there are a number of ways to get to the Dubai Mall.

If you prefer to travel by public transport, buses go here from any point in the city. A great option would be to download an application with all the routes so as not to make a mistake with the choice.

Speaking of travel, you can always hail a taxi. Uber is probably the most common option, but if your plan doesn’t include roaming, you can easily hail a taxi without using the internet. Most hotels will happily order a taxi for you if you ask at reception, and for the return journey, there is a special taxi gate at the mall.

Of course, you can always drive there yourself, whether you have your own car or are planning to rent a car in Dubai. The mall has several huge parking lots, so you will easily find a place for your car. But when you do, do not forget to write down its number, because finding it after a day spent in the mall is quite a task.

Must-See Parts of Dubai Mall

Now that we have properly introduced the mall, it is time to move on to the most interesting part – its contents. As you already know, there are more than 1,200 establishments on its territory, so we cannot list them all, but we will tell you about the best and most interesting places that you can find here.

It can be difficult to navigate, so we recommend downloading the Dubai Mall app as it has a built-in map that tracks your location based on nearby networks. If that doesn’t work, you can also use the interactive kiosks that are located at almost every corner of the mall.

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa is without a doubt the most popular reason to visit Dubai Mall, as the tourist entrance is located right in the mall. The famous skyscraper has its own reception desk where you can buy a ticket or leave items that are not allowed to enter.

Tickets can also be purchased in advance, and this is actually a better option. There are two separate lines at the check-in counter, and buying a ticket on the spot will take considerably longer.

Once you have your ticket, you can access the elevators. Most tours include a visit to the observation decks on the 124th and 125th floors, but the elevator ride is quick and smooth. While it can take 20 minutes to an hour to get through all the lines, the breathtaking views are definitely worth the wait.

Aquarium and underwater zoo

The Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is another iconic attraction that you will find in the Dubai Mall. Although aquariums exist in hundreds of cities, this one is designed in a classic Dubai style, impressing visitors with its scale.

The aquariums here hold over ten million liters of water and are home to over thirty thousand animals, an almost incomprehensible number. Some of the most iconic inhabitants of the aquarium are the huge rays and sharks, but smaller fish such as eels, snails and clownfish are also interesting to get to know.

You can always buy a ticket and explore the aquarium on your own, but the operator offers a variety of additional experiences that you can also try. These include various animal encounters, feeding shows, and even shark dives.

Dubai Fountain

Right next to the Dubai Mall you will find the most famous fountain in the city. Although calling it a fountain would be a slight understatement, as the system is 275 meters long and can shoot water up to 150 meters into the air.

The most impressive show begins after sunset, when the illuminations are launched. They are equipped with more than six thousand lights and twenty-five massive color projectors, creating a stunningly beautiful show.

Ice rink

If you are looking for a more unusual experience, this place is for you. It is an Olympic-sized rink suitable for professional skating, but it welcomes visitors of all skill levels, providing them with a chance to cool off from the never-ending Dubai heat.

You can skate freely on the rink or sign up for a class to learn from one of the experts there. In addition, the rink regularly serves as a venue for various events that you can attend. The calendar of these shows is available on the rink’s official website, making it easy for you to plan your visit accordingly.

VR Park

Even though VR technology is now widely available to the public and the park’s “wow” factor has faded, it’s still worth a visit. Firstly, if you don’t have a VR headset at home, this is a great opportunity to try one out. Secondly, the place still offers unique experiences that are worth discovering.

The park offers a wide range of virtual experiences, from traditional VR games to immersive experiences such as roller coasters or movie scene simulators. At some stands, you will find not only headsets, but also various additional devices that further enhance the immersion.

As with most other attractions in Dubai, entry to the VR park is by ticket. You can either purchase these on site or book them online in advance of your visit. As usual, the latter option is preferable as it will save you time that you would otherwise have to spend queuing for tickets.

KidZania

The Dubai Mall is great for visitors of all ages, and KidZania is the perfect place for families with children. For families with small children, this is an opportunity to spend time together in a fun and educational way, while parents with older children can leave them at KidZania for the day and go shopping. It should be noted that this feature is only available for children over 120 cm tall.

The main attraction of this place is a mini-town where kids can play at various real professions and enjoy master classes from the staff. Of course, safety standards are extremely high here, and each child is given a special bracelet that notifies the staff if he leaves the territory.

Cinemas

Every mall needs a cinema, and Dubai Mall delivers. It has 22 different screening rooms, some of which are incredibly luxurious, while others are designed for children.

Tickets are available online and on site, and the on-site café will provide everything you need for a perfect evening at the cinema. Of course, the selection of films includes all the latest Hollywood releases, and most screenings are in English.

Food court

Like any other shopping mall in the world, Dubai Mall has a wide range of restaurants. There are over 40 places to eat, with cuisines from around the world, and while they are nothing fancy or fancy, they are still a great place to stop off after a day of shopping.

Most establishments here give out little ping devices that notify you when your order is ready, so you never have to queue while your food is being prepared. This area is almost entirely devoted to fast food, while more sophisticated establishments are located in other parts of the Dubai Mall.

Fashion Avenue

Fashion is the largest category of goods sold at the Dubai Mall, so it won’t be too surprising to learn that there is a whole huge area dedicated specifically to fashion. In total, there are over 200 stores, including all the popular designer brands you could possibly have in mind.

In addition to the fashion boutiques, the avenue creates a great shopping mood with its decorations and offers several luxury restaurants. Speaking of luxury, some boutiques even offer custom tailoring, but you should know that the price tags are also appropriate.

Chinatown

The last place on our list is definitely something special. Chinatown is a small area located in one of the most remote parts of the Dubai Mall and is very easy to miss. Although there is nothing special about it, we still recommend visiting it.

You will surely enjoy the neon lights and themed decorations, but if you are not so keen on that, you can visit one of the restaurants or have a hot drink in one of the local tea houses. Just looking here will take you only five minutes, and it will be worth it if only for the atmospheric photos.

Parking in Dubai Mall

Notes:

• Parking fees apply in the Grand, Cinema and Fashion zones.
• There is currently no fee in the Zabeel and Fountain areas.
• People with disabilities can park for free everywhere.