Deira Heritage Market to open soon

Dubai: A souq dedicated in selling and buying traditional artefacts is expected to open in October – becoming one of the latest landmarks in the city. The souq will offer unique facilities and will follow a set of guidelines and specifications when trading with traditional items that represent the country’s heritage.

Rashad Bukhash, Director of Architectural Heritage Department, said, “everything that deals with our heritage will be sold at the souq. It is not limited to clothes and ornaments, but will also offer food, jewellery and household items.”

He pointed out that construction is currently undergoing on the final stages of the Heritage Market in Deira, located behind Naif Road, and will operate under the Architectural Heritage Department at Dubai Municipality.

“Once the finishing touches are complete, we will start leasing out the shops and expect it to be open by October,” he said.

The civic body is currently preparing for the launch, and having reviewed the final stages of the project, Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality expressed his appreciated for the team at the Architectural Heritage Department for designing the traditional market.

“I hope this to be the traditional business landmark of the country with which the city of Dubai can be proud of its heritage and tradition,” Lootah said.

The heritage market was built across 4,600 square metres at a cost of Dh5.695 million, and includes 98 shops, a traditional restaurant, cafeteria for traditional snacks, and a prayer hall for women, in addition to the internal and external squares for kiosks, folk celebrations and festivals and a Friday market.

The market also includes shops dedicated to selling Arabic perfumes, national and Arabic conventional dresses, tools, equipment for land and sea travel, ornaments, coins, jewellery and other products, such as national fronds, handicrafts, old books, carpets, porcelain, ancient weapons, local souvenirs, local sweets, dates, popular cuisine, spices, old photos in addition to a studio to take photos with traditional backgrounds.

Eng. Rashad Bukash, Director of Architectural Heritage Department said the heritage market is expected to be a milestone in the history of the urban development carried out by the civic body in the emirate of Dubai, which will add a new destination for tourists and visitors commemorating the past for generations to come.