Most people think of fancy malls, the Burj Khalifa, and the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab when they think of Dubai, but there are 3.5 million workers who live here and I got to see where they shop and eat out during my recent extended layover in Dubai.
Exploring The Other Side Of Dubai In Deira
I was staying at the Hyatt Regency on Al Khaleej Street in Al Corniche, Deira…an older part of Dubai. With the sunset bringing some relief to the extreme heat, I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood…just because it was a part of Dubai I was not familiar with.
The Gold Souk is nearby, which does cater to visitors, but this area seemed really geared toward the local population. There were cell phone stores, restaurants, coffee shops, clothing outlets, and barbershops that were hardly luxurious, but certainly make sense when you consider over 90% of Dubai’s population is immigrant workers and they may endure slave-like conditions, but most get time off as well and many have families.
There were a lot of aggressive touts for counterfeit luxury products. These guys roam the streets and approach folks like me, saying things like “Louis Vuitton purse? Rolex watch?” When I was a kid I use to buy fake stuff but I’ve found over the years that you get what you pay for.
I had heard that this area has all sorts of secret passages and doors that lead into backrooms filled with knock-off products. While I wasn’t courageous enough to film it, I took one guy up on his offer to show me his store. He led me down an alley and into a narrow door that had only an elevator inside.
The elevator took us up a couple floors, where I stepped out into what appeared to a floor with several braiding shops, appealing to the massive population of Sub-Saharan workers from Africa. We went down the hall to an unmarked door, where he knocked three times.
The door opened and I entered a room filled from floor to ceiling with fake products, like Gucci and Prada bags and Patek Philippe and TAG Heuer watches. There were fake Apple products too, from phones to watches to headphones.
I didn’t buy anything…my wife certainly does not need another purse! 😉
But I did find it an interesting side of Dubai that you don’t often see.
With my still stomach upset, I did not eat, but there were several local shawarma and kebab places that looked very appetizing. Had I been feeling better, I would have sought out masnaf and knafeh.
I’m not sure I’ll ever return, but if you are looking for fake goods in Dubai, they are certainly available…
Key takeaway in a single sentence: “I’m not sure I’ll ever return…’
Not sure but, avoid bringing the counterfeit items back into the US. There seems to be restrictions on how much fakery is tolerated. In Europe it borders on criminal.. If you crave the knock offs DJT sells a line of overpriced cheap junk
Yet another farce. The guy pretends to be all-American, yet even the red-hats are made in China… psh.
The official ones are made in America. I’ve got mine right here and it says “Made in USA” right on the tag.
“Made in USA”
*looks closer*
(Made in China)
That area is near the Sheraton Dubai Creek, which is also near the Dhow Wharfage and the Spice Souk. I find that to be an interesting place to walk around. The whole area, really. Much more fun than a luxury shopping mall.
Love your articles in general but I’d say it maybe is best not to advertise an illegal service of counterfeit goods that, yes, can be found in many corners of the world that fuel criminal activity worldwide and devalue the victim brands.
I condemn it…I’m certainly not advocating for it.
Louis Vuitton has done a good enough job devaluing their own brand. Their goods are now firmly in the “vulgar” category, with Rolex finishing a close second IMO.
I used to love buying all that fake stuff in my early 20s. As you say you get what you pay for. Was eye opening on my first few trips to Asia.
Noting also on my first trip to nyc we also visited similar closed door backroom down some stairs shops that had similar goods.
This seems like a much better place to spend time day to day than the gilded influencer vibe that pervades the rest of Dubai. I’m sure the ethnic food serving the working class is much better than the western chains that have set up in the malls. Dubai is a cool place with a unique vibe. A great place to visit. But seeing this as the authentic side to daily life there is somehow refreshing in its “familiarity” to those of us who have traveled in the third world. Fact is, this is paradise to some people.
I still have a couple of fake purses/ brief case/ wallets from Seoul Korea and they’re still in good shape, though I admit, I don’t use them often. People are amazed at how real they look but then I’m going back about 45 years so possibly they were better quality fakes at that time?
I find that area of Dubai utterly uninteresting. That Regency is great, but it was clearly built for a different time.
guess you never heard of the Cyclone Club?
maybe before your time…