A Garden of Golden Delights

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Plenty of places lay claim to the name City of Gold, but Dubai is clearly qualified for the title. This desert emirate is home to the densest concentration of gold dealers in the world—250 of them are crammed into a half-square-kilometer area of fairy-tale opulence known as the Gold Souq. Reached through a wooden lattice gateway off Al-Ahmadiya Street in the old quarter of Deira, the shops of the souq jangle with glittering wares, ranging from discreet chains and dainty earrings to clunky bangles, collars and belts. The selection is broad enough to suit all tastes, from pure gold to pure kitsch. Tourists are left dazzled, not just by the variety and quality of merchandise on display but also by the sheer quantity of it: there are 10 tons of gold on sale at the souq at any given time. And you won't find better value anywhere. With no sales tax and low customs duties, gold traded in Dubai is cheaper than in the countries in which it originates. Prices can be driven down still further by a bit of traditional Middle Eastern haggling. If bargaining isn't your style, the Gold and Diamond Park on Sheikh Zayed Road offers a more restrained—if somewhat sterile—shopping experience.