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Best supermarkets in Dubai: Where to go grocery shopping?
Shop at the best supermarkets in Dubai and distinguish between a hypermarket, convenience store, or local market.
When traveling to a foreign country, such as the United Arab Emirates, whether as a tourist, for business, or if you’ve settled for a while to work remotely as a digital nomad, it can be confusing to know where to go for different types of shopping. If you’re looking for supermarkets in Dubai and other types of stores, this article brings you a guide to the five best establishments.
In this city, marked by the modernity of its infrastructure and the tradition of its culture, you can find everything from large international hypermarkets, small gourmet shops, to local markets with typical regional food. To keep your monthly budget in check, we’ll explain where to find specific products, their prices, locations, and hours. Grab your shopping list, let’s begin the tour!
What types of stores are there in Dubai?
Within the cost of living in this city, food is considered the second most significant expense, so it’s essential to know the different types of supermarkets in Dubai. This way, you’ll be able to choose the most suitable one for a large weekly shop, to buy fresh local products, or to find some international brands. These are the most common establishments:
- Hypermarkets: Large stores offering all kinds of products, from food to clothing or household appliances. They are usually located in shopping malls or large residential areas, perfect for big shopping trips. For example: Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarket y Géant.
- Supermarkets: Medium-sized stores located in urban areas or near residential zones, selling food and everyday items. Some examples are Spinneys, Waitrose, or Choithrams.
- Mini markets: Small supermarkets, also known as convenience stores, where you can quickly grab urgent items. Their hours are generally more extended or even 24h, like in Zoom, 7-Eleven, or West Zone.
- Local markets: Here, you can find fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, spices, and typical Arabic products, like at Deira Fish Market, Spice Souk, or Waterfront Market.
- Specialized and gourmet shops: To find imported, organic, or high-end products, such as at Organic Foods & Café, Al Adil Trading, or Jones the Grocer.
The 5 Most Notable Supermarkets in Dubai
Regardless of why you’re in Dubai, whether you’re staying for a few days as a tourist, working remotely as a digital nomad, or have come to study in this Arabian city, at some point, you’ll need to stock your kitchen to cook at home. That’s why we want to help you pick the best supermarkets in Dubai. Here’s our list!
1. Carrefour Dubai
Carrefour is one of the largest and most widespread hypermarket chains globally. It opened its first location in Dubai 20 years ago, managed by the Majid Al Futtaim Group. Currently, it has more than 45 branches in Dubai, with various formats, including hypermarkets and Express stores, located in shopping malls such as Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, and Marina Mall. The opening hours are from 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM, and some even operate 24 hours, seven days a week.
If you need to do a big shop for fresh food, international products, household goods, clothing, cosmetics, and electronics, you can do it all in one place, with the following approximate prices:
- Milk (1 L) $1.08 (€0.93)
- Sliced bread (600 GR): $0.90 (€0.77)
- Rice (5 KG): $10.14 (€8.70)
- Bananas (500 GR): $0.65 (€0.56)
- Pechugas de pollo (500 GR): $6.63 (€5.69)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Variedad de productos desde comida hasta ropa | Large stores can make it harder to find products |
| Promociones 3X2 | Not the cheapest for small purchases |
| Wide opening hours | Very busy stores |
Advantages and disadvantages of Carrefour Dubai.
2. Spinneys
The second most prominent supermarket chain in Dubai is Spinneys, a UK-based chain with over 30 stores in areas like Marina Walk, Mercato Mall, Juman Centre, and Central Park, open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, seven days a week.
It’s known for being a high-end supermarket where you can find fresh, imported, and organic products, as well as international wines and beverages, with somewhat higher prices:
- White baguette (200 GR): $1.00 (€0.86)
- Free-range eggs (6 pcs): $4.76 (€4.08)
- Aguacate orgánico (1 KL): $17.12 (€14.68)
- Dorada (1 KL): $15.43 (€13.23)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High-quality and international products | Higher prices than average |
| Modern and well-organized stores | Few offers or promotions |
| Ideal for expatriates | Limited selection of local products |
Advantages and disadvantages of Spinneys.
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3. West Zone Supermarket
One of the Emirati supermarkets founded in 2005 is West Zone Supermarket, with over 100 stores in the city, most of which are open 24 hours. The strategy of this chain is to offer basic items, fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, snacks, and cleaning products at very low prices. For example, a 500 GR loaf of bread costs $1.17 (€1.00), a dozen eggs $2.92 (€2.50), and a kilo of pears $2.16 (€1.85).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable rates | Limited variety |
| Open 24 hours | Small stores |
| Ideal for quick shopping | Doesn’t offer gourmet products |
Advantages and disadvantages of West Zone Supermarket.
4. Deira Fish Market
Besides shopping at typical supermarkets in Dubai, you can also visit some of its local markets, such as the Deira Fish Market, also known as Waterfront Market. It’s one of the oldest in the city, located in the historic Deira district, next to the fishing port. Here, you can buy local fish and seafood like hamour (Arabian grouper), safih (tuna), or kingfish, though there are also meat, fruit, and vegetable stalls.
It opens daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM and offers great prices. For example, you can get a kilo of shrimp for $8.63 (€7.40) or fresh hamour fish for $7.23 (€6.20). Fruits and vegetables are usually up to 40% cheaper than at some supermarkets.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good prices | Requires bargaining at some stalls |
| Local products | Some stalls don’t accept card payments |
| Fresh fish and seafood | Communication difficulties due to language |
Advantages and disadvantages of Deira Fish Market.
5. Zoom Convenience Store
We end this list of the best supermarkets in Dubai with one of the city’s most popular convenience store chains, owned by ENOC (Emirates National Oil Company). While it originally started as a store in a gas station, today you can find over 200 stores in transport stations and residential neighborhoods, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
These stores are designed for urgent purchases of snacks, cold and hot drinks, sandwiches, bread, cleaning products, hygiene items, and some fresh food. We don’t recommend them for large shopping trips, as prices are higher than at other establishments. For example, a prepared sandwich costs around $4.43 (€3.80), a 500 ML bottle of water $0.58 (€0.50), and an espresso coffee $2.92 (€2.50).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open 24 hours | Not suitable for large purchases |
| Located in every neighborhood | Small spaces |
| You can top-up your phone or buy SIM cards | Limited variety |
Advantages and disadvantages of Zoom Convenience Store.
Other Notable Stores and Shops in Dubai
¿Ya tienes anotado los principales supermercados en Dubái donde puedes hacer la compra? Ahora que ya puedes llenar la despensa con tranquilidad, vamos a ver qué otro tipo de tiendas especializadas puedes encontrar en esta ciudad. Maybe you need to upgrade your laptop, decorate your new home, or get new outfits for your wardrobe, so here are some popular fashion, electronics, and home decor chains.
Sharaf DG, Electronics and Home Appliances
Founded in 2005, Sharaf DG is one of the largest electronics chains in the UAE, with over 30 stores in Dubai, usually located in shopping malls, open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. They frequently have promotions and competitive prices on household appliances, TVs, computers, mobile phones, cameras, gaming consoles, accessories, and audio equipment. For example, a 7 KG Samsung washing machine costs $343 (€295), and a 55-inch LG TV costs $577 (€495).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good after sales service | Slower customer service |
| Online sales | Very crowded |
| Great promotions | Limited warranty to the national territory |
Advantages and disadvantages of Sharaf DG.
Centrepoint, Department Store
Part of Landmark Group, this department store, with over 20 branches in Dubai, is located in shopping malls like Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre, and Dubai Hills Mall. It’s one of the most popular in the city. Inside, you can find fashion, beauty, and home goods from brands like Splash (youth and casual clothing), Lifestyle (accessories and home decor), and Shoemart (footwear), with prices like $11.20 (€9.60) for a T-shirt or $35.00 (€30) for casual shoes. You can visit this store from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Wide range of brands | No luxury brands |
| Affordable prices | Average quality |
| Several locations around the city | Some sizes sell out quickly |
Advantages and disadvantages of Centrepoint.
IKEA, furniture and decoration
You’re probably familiar with this Swedish multinational that specializes in ready-to-assemble furniture and decor, and now you can find it in Dubai. In the UAE, IKEA is operated by the AlFuttaim Group and has several stores in Dubai, such as in Festival City, Al Rebat Road, and Jebel Ali, Festival Plaza Mall, open from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with extended hours on weekends.
IKEA’s furniture prices are quite affordable, so you can furnish your new home on a budget. For example, you can get a 2-seater sofa for $290 (€249), a bookshelf for $23 (€20), or a kitchen side table for $6.80 (€5.85).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Restaurant and cafe inside the store | Assembly by customer |
| Frequent offers and promotions | Additional transport cost |
| Modern design | Very crowded on weekends |
Advantages and disadvantages of IKEA.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Supermarkets in Dubai
Yes, it’s common to find sections of international products in Dubai supermarkets, as the city is very international, like in Spinneys.
Most of them are open every day, with a wide range of hours, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, or even 24 hours.
Yes, almost all stores accept international credit and debit cards, as well as mobile payments like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Pay. However, it’s a good idea to carry cash in local markets.
The best places to buy fresh fruit, vegetables, or fish are traditional markets, like Deira Fish Market or Spice Souk,
Although the official language is Arabic, English is very common due to the city’s cultural diversity, especially in tourist areas and supermarkets.
