How to Bargain at the Gold Souks in Dubai

Find fabulous gold jewelry at great prices at Dubai's Gold Souk.

Dubai is known as the City of Gold, and the Gold Souk is the reason why. The Gold Souk offers a dazzling array of gold along with diamonds and platinum. The prices are good but be ready to haggle with the sellers. If you're purchasing at the Gold Souk, don't worry about quality. The government tightly controls the quality of the goods.

Things You'll Need

• Love for shopping
• Ability to negotiate

Instructions

1. Know your gold. Do research before heading to the Gold Souk so you know the basics of gold quality, the difference between 18, 22 and 24 carat gold and a reasonable price for the things you are looking for.

2. Set a budget. Know what you want to buy and how much you are willing to spend before shopping. Also, check the exchange rate from your home currency to United Arabic Dirhams by checking online or at your hotel.

3. Select your pieces. As English is spoken everywhere in Dubai, salespeople can be helpful.
   The quality of the pieces in the Gold Souk is government-regulated, but street vendors are not held to the same standards and often sell fakes.

4. Negotiate with the seller over the price. Sellers expect you to negotiate and have set their prices high. Be willing to walk away from a deal that is not in your favor. Often, the seller will come down even more if it appears you are going to walk away without buying. You can sometimes knock as much as 50 percent off the price, but 30 percent is a more realistic figure. Remember if you buy more than one piece you will have more bargaining power. But be flexible: if those earrings are really perfect for Mom and the price is in your ballpark you should concede. Negotiations are an art, not a science,

Tips & Warnings

• Have basic knowledge in gold standards

• Know your exchange rates

• Only buy from reputable companies

• Watch for street vendors

References

• Time: Dubai: 10 Things to Do