If your interest in malls transcends shopping, Al Ghurair Centre is a must. Built in 1981—which makes it Dubai’s oldest mall—Al Ghurair has undergone renovations, but maintains a whiff of the past (sometimes literally, as perfume shops continue to be its main lifeline). Still, what’s most unique about this shopping center is the neighborhood to which it caters. Located in Deira, Al Ghurair serves a cosmopolitan community of Dubai’s low- and middle-income expats, specifically South Asians and Filipinos. Grab a warm coffee or sweet bubble tea and walk outside the mall to the Fish Roundabout or Clock Tower (built in 1963, before the UAE was a thing).
