Abu Dhabi: A short drive away from the skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi, Mohammad Azed sits surrounded by a seemingly endless stack of merchandise: pots, cutlery, fans, microwaves, toys and just about every thing you would expect to find in a market.
But this is not just any market - this is the Iranian Souq, which is arguably Abu Dhabi's only remaining authentic souq dating back to 1989.
Azed, an Iranian who was born in Dubai and has lived with one foot in the UAE and the other in Iran, knows this place inside out.
"More than 1,000 people come here daily from all over the world. These are not just tourists, they are also locals who want a good deal," Azed said.
Azed knows of the relationship between Iran and the UAE, long before the souq was even built.
"The UAE used to be a great gateway for the region. Many Iranian ships would unload here and send their goods to Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East. Today, it is a market. The ships unload here and are mostly sold here, because there is a big market for Iranian goods," Azed said.
Much of the ties between both countries have changed over the past few years. All you need to do is it pick up any product with packaging on it and you will see the gold sticker with black writing: Made in China.
Few items found here are made in India or Japan. "I estimate about only two per cent of the goods here are from Iran," Azed said.
Unlike 10 years ago, when Iran-UAE trade in household goods was at its peak, Azed said this trade has now died down.
"These items have become so expensive and tariffs on them have drastically increased. Why buy a pot from Iran for Dh20 when you can buy it from China or India for Dh10? People who come here don't care where it's made or where it comes from, they just care about the price," Azed said.
The surprising fact in all this is that trade between the UAE and Iran has almost doubled.
The UAE remains Iran's number one trading partner. But the majority of the trading takes place only in textile and heavy machinery sectors, and not household goods sector.
The reputation of the Iranian souq, however, remains as an authentic market for Iranian goods: Persian carpets, pottery, plants and household items made in Iran.
For the tourists who are inquisitive enough to notice the hundreds of boxes with the bold letters, 'Made in China', the concept of this being an Iranian Souq is ironical. Mark Gleeson is visiting Abu Dhabi from Ireland and was told from different sources to visit the Iranian souq.
"I was told this is one of the most authentic markets in the country, but it doesn't seem to be that way. Every thing here says 'Made in China'. I expected to find more Persian goods that there are here. Even the animals in the market are all local," Gleenson said.
On tourist trail
Despite the origin of the goods, the Iranian souq remains to be a major destination for tour operators in Abu Dhabi. Buses come here by the loads to show tourists a glimpse of the Persian bazaar with antique-like items. The only fine print is the items were made a few months ago somewhere in a factory in China or India.
"This is the global village, right? Who cares where the item is made?" Gleeson said.
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