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The bulk of the shopping centres are located in the Olaya district, which has a large number of malls and specialist shopping centres, covering everything from fashion and jewellery to computers.
Outside the city centre and heading north there are a number of large modern shopping malls, including the Sahara Mall, with 180 units; the more modern Deira Shopping Cen- tre, with 500 units; and the Al Bathaa souk. The largest souks in the Kingdom can be found in Al-Baha, Abha, Buraydah, Tabuk, Najran and Jeddah.
A large reason why these areas have prospered as market towns is that they lie along the traditional pilgrim trade routes and were for centuries the centres of bargaining and bartering.
Jeddah
As the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, Jed- dah has a large number of shops, which range from open air souks and pedestrian bazaars to the most urbanised shopping malls. Shopping in Jeddah can never be complete without a trip to the various gold shops where bartering is the norm.
For fashion aficionados there is Tahlia Street in the heart of Jeddah. This is the hub of designer brands with the El Khayyat Shopping Centre stocking the likes of Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and DKNY. For cheaper
THE MOST EXUBERANT MALLS IN SAUDI ARABIA CAN BE FOUND WITHIN THE AL FAISALIAH TOWER AND KINGDOM TOWER IN RIYADH CITY CENTRE
unbranded goods the best place to shop is Gabel Street, where the road is lined with open air souks selling traditional items like Arabian tea pots, rugs and Arabian perfumes. However, the first shopping centre in the city, which remains the largest today, is the Heraa Mall. This one-stop-wonder has over 240 international and local retailers, selling ev- erything from branded fashion items to locally made traditional fair. The mall also features a number of restaurants and coffee shops.
Dammam
A trip to Dammam in the Eastern Province wouldn't be complete without stopping at one of the many shopping malls the city has to offer. Visitors will find several centres dedicated to a favoured past-time among Saudis and expatriates. Like most malls in the Kingdom, they sell everything from electronic appliances and gadgets to designer brands, watches and perfumes. With so many malls to choose from, it's not easy to decide where to spend your hard- earned cash. But the Beach Mall, Oasis Com-
mercial Mall and Plaza Hyatt Mall are popular venues. Dammam International Markets Mall and Bin-Khaldoum Plaza Mall also come highly recommended. Elsewhere, the Feminine East Mall at Damman Corniche offers Saudi women a range of international brands to choose from. Beyond the modern malls, the Eastern Re- gion is rich with heritage that provides an insight into Saudi customs and traditions. Fixed and mobile markets selling handcrafts, traditional ornaments, domestic birds and agricultural products offer some of the best places to learn more about the culture.
The Al-Hab Market is considered one of the region's most famous, making it a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. Typical goods that are available include household appliances. Over at the Thursday market in Al Qateef, visitors will find handcrafts, rugs and baskets, as well as the Sheep Market, which sells domestic animals and birds. Merchants at the Thursday Market in Al Nair- iyiah sell traditional goods, local ghee, herbal incense and pots. Dates, coffee, cardamom, cattle and domestic birds are also available.
È saudiarabia 2011
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