Souk Madinat Jumeirah

Souk Madinat Jumeirah is the market and social heart of Madinat Jumeirah, a $1.2 billion resort complex of around 40 hectares at the foot of the Burj Al Arab in Umm Suqeim. Conceived as a contemporary recreation of an ancient Arabian town — its architects looked to old Dubai's creekside settlement in Bur Dubai for inspiration — the resort weaves roughly 5.4 kilometres of landscaped waterways through desert-coloured hotels and villas, plied by traditional wooden abra boats.

The souk itself is a covered, maze-like bazaar of around 75 boutiques lining wood-framed walkways. It is built in the language of a traditional market: sand-coloured walls, grand arches, carved wooden detailing, wooden-lattice ceilings, lanterns and, crucially, barjeel wind towers that catch breezes and channel cool air down to the pedestrian lanes below — a heritage cooling device here reinforced by modern air-conditioning. Alongside the shops sit more than 25 restaurants, bars and cafés, the Madinat Theatre, and open terraces overlooking the water.

While its old-world atmosphere is deliberately staged rather than historic, the craftsmanship and detailing are high, and the setting is genuinely spectacular: the canals, gardens of bougainvillea and palm, and lantern-lit lanes all frame views of the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab rising just beyond — a composition that is especially striking at sunset and after dark.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah sits within the Madinat Jumeirah resort on Al Sufouh Road in Umm Suqeim, beside the Burj Al Arab. Arrive by car to the souk's main entrance, or enter through the resort. Once inside, wander the covered lantern-lit lanes; for the best Burj Al Arab views and the abra dock, head toward the waterside terraces and canals at the rear of the souk. Abra tours of the 5.4km waterways depart from here.