Cultural Understanding and Arabic meal at SMCCU - next, we will move to the Bur Dubai, where we will go the SMCCU, The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is a non-profit organization, whose purpose is to increase awareness and understanding between the various cultures that live in Dubai. Operating under the banner of “Open Doors. Open Minds.” the SMCCU strives to remove barriers between people of different nationalities and raise awareness of the local culture,customs and religion of the United Arab Emirates.

SMCCU provides most authentic Emirati cuisine, prepared in the home of its founder, Abdullah bin Eisa Al Serkal. These cultural meals which began more than 15 years ago where originally prepared by Abdullah's mother. 

Today all recipes are prepared by local chefs preserving the traditions and customs of the bedouin meal. The local diet and dishes are made mostly of fish, meat and rice with sweeter dishes served at breakfast.

Arabic Coffee          

Known as "Gahuwa Arabia" this drink of hospitality is a blend of lightly roasted arabic beans, cardamon and saffron which are ground and boiled. The coffee is strained and served hot in small cups keeping it just the right temperature when served.          

    
Dates
A staple in the Emirati diet, dates are harvested locally and more than 40 varieties of dates are grown in the UAE. Dates are served traditionally at the start of the meal and still play an important role in trade making up 60% of the fruit and vegetable trade in the region.          

Nikhee or Dungaw (Chick Peas)          

Dungaw can be served at any meal and can be carried dry in the desert. Boiled with spices and sometimes hot chilly peppers Dungaw remains a consistent part of a bedouin or local meal.    

      
Balaleet
Balaleet is a breakfast dish of sweetened vermicelli or chinese noodles, mixed with eggs and spices like cardamon and saffron and yellow raisins. An Emirati favorite it is often served for late dinner or dessert.          

Chabab
This Emirati pancake is made with flour, eggs, sugar and spices like cardamon added for flavor. Its yellow color comes from a dash of saffron and is served with local date syrup.

     
Khamir
Khamir, simply the arabic word for yeast is another type of bread served at breakfast with fresh cheese. The khamir is a mixture of yeast, flour, milk powdered and is sprinkled with sesame seeds and cooked to a toasty brown color.    

          
Machboos
Machboos is made in several different ways with either meat, chicken or fish. The rice is seasoned and whole spices are added like cardamon, cloves, cinnamon, dried lemon, yellow raisins and lentels. The taste and preparation of this dish can vary from one Emirati family to another.

     
Fareeth
Fraeeth gets its name from the think layers of bread that are used instead of pasta or rice. Meat and vegetables are boiled until soft, spiced and the entire stew is poured over the bread layers.

     
Saloona          

The Emirati stew, this dish is a mixture of seasonal vegatables and meat, chicken or fish and is served most often with boiled white rice.

Mhammar
The Emirates is known for its fish as a most of the population resides along the coast. Small local fish are spiced and prepared whole and often served with sweet carmelized onions and surgary yellow rice which is a blend of savory and sweet.

 
    
Ligamat
The sweet of the Emirates, Ligamat is a moist batter "drop" deep fried in ghee and served with local "dibbs" or date syrup. These donuts of the Gulf are served at anytime, as a breakfast food or a late night dessert.

SMCCU also conducts heritage tours in the district, Step back in time and enjoy the atmosphere of Al Fahidi Historic District, one of the oldest traditional Emirati neighbourhoods in Bur Dubai. where you Join SMCCU's experienced tour guides for a walk through the unique narrow sikkas and beautiful wind towers that adorn the original residences along the Dubai Creek.

Heritage Tour (90 minutes)

The tour includes a walk through the historic district and a visit to the Diwan Mosque. Guests then return to the SMCCU house for a cultural discovery Q&A session and will be treated to Arabic tea, coffee and dates. Tours are held every Saturday 9am - 10:30am & every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30am - 12:00pm.

Walking Tour (60 minutes) 

This tour includes a walk through the historic district and a cultural discovery Q&A session at the SMCCU house. Guests will be treated to Arabic tea, coffee and dates. Tours are held every Sunday through Thursday from 9:00am - 10:00am.

Creekside Tour (120 minutes) - 5 person minimum
(Seasonal, available November 1st - March 31st)

This tour includes a walk through the historic district and a visit to the Diwan Mosque and Textile Souq. Guests then board an abra boat, and journey across Dubai Creek to Deira to visit the Gold Souk and Spice Souk. Guests then return to the SMCCU house for a cultural discovery Q&A session and will be treated to Arabic tea, coffee and dates. This tour is by special request only.

Advance booking is required for all three tours.

Dubai Museum Visit

Next we will go to the Dubai Museum, which is located near the Grand Mosque & only Dubai Hindu temple & Gurudwara. You must visit place if you want to know the history of dubai, there is also a audio - visual show runs at museum. You can easily spend upto 45 minutes in Dubai Museum.

In Museum, The exhibits are housed in 1799 Al-Fahidi Fort, considered the oldest building in Dubai and once the seat of government and residence of Dubai’s rulers.

• courtyard depicting old-time fishing boats and traditional dwellings.
• Barasti (a traditional palm-leaf house) including a wind tower and basic kitchen – essentially just a pot and a pile of kindling. 
• modest displays of instruments and handcrafted weapons.
• multimedia presentation showing Dubai’s exponential growth from tiny trading post to megalopolis.
• Posters showing timeline on the opposite wall goes into greater depth. 
• Series of dioramas recreates old Dubai, including a souq, a school, and a desert camp. 
• Other Diorams displaying focus on the Bedu; desert flora and fauna; traditional costumes and jewellery
• Archaeology section showing detailed information about the local settlements from around 2000 BC to 1000 BC. 
• Display of unearthed artefacts from the numerous tombs that have been discovered in the area. 
• At one tomb alone (Al Soufouh) 16 ceramic vessels were found. Comprehensive explanatory panelling is in English and Arabic.

Meena Bazaar

Meena Bazaar - Indian Market in Dubai

Dubai is famous for its great intercultural community living together in peace. After the Arabic locals, Indian minority is the biggest in Dubai and Indians have always played the most important role in the business life of Dubai. Therefore Dubai has several Indian areas.
Meena Bazaar is a great marketplace, a hub for Indian people where they can get just anything coming from their homeland. The most important goods include traditional Indian jewelry and wedding jewellery, watches, Indian textiles, Indian furniture and accessories or Indian spices. Of course, these are only some of the dozens of goods that are sold in Meena Bazaar, which, together with its area will really make you feel as if you were in India. 

You can also get to see two Hindu temples in the Meena area: one is dedicated to Shiva and the other to Krishna Gods. Meena Bazaar is located in Bur Dubai, next to Al Bastakiya area.

About Abra Ride in  Dubai Creek

Next we will Cross the Dubai creek in a traditional abra boat. Taking an abra ride most enjoyable ways to cross the beautiful Dubai Creek. An abra is basically a small motorized water taxi, which used to be the main mode of transport many years ago. It is now a quick getaway from Bur Dubai and Deira especially when traffic in the Al Shindagha tunnel or other bridges is fully zammed.

The abras are also very popular with tourists and commuters as they are a quick & joyful.
 

Take an Abra Ride

Your  Abra ride starts only when the boat is full as Abras rents are very cheap. The fare is collected during the journey which is about 1 Dirham per person. While on boat, you will have a bumpy ride watching the magnifiscant dubai and its growth story on both sides.Each abra ride lasts for 10 minutes and the arrival and departure stations are fixed.Several Abra stations are dotted along on either banks of the Dubai Creek.

Private Hiring of Abras
Abras are also available for private hire and whilst on a ride you'll experience of one of Dubai's great success story including National Bank of Dubai, Creek Park, Creek Club and the dhow harbour, plus all the other beautiful landmarks and souks.private ride you would have to pay 10 -20 Dirham’s. Likewise, an hour long tour would cost 50 Dirham’s and sometime worthwhile for the kids who love being on the boats. 

Points to be noted for Abra Tour –

• The best time to embark on an abra ride would be at dusk on a weekday as the air would be cooler.
• The abra would not be as crowded as it is on weekends and the light would be just sufficient to enjoy the sights.
• There are no life jackets so beware.
• Don’t stand up as it will make the Abra Unstable.

About Dubai Gold Souq Tour

After the Abra Tour, we arrive at famous souks tour and start with Gold Souq in Deira. Today we will visit Fold , Spice and Perfume Souq. These souqs are located next to each other and always bustling with activity at all times. 

Why Dubai is a City of Gold

A trip to the Gold Souk truly demonstrates why Dubai has earned itself the title City of Gold. Gold Souq is a worth visit even if you have no intention of buying, You will be amzed to see the glittering shops of gold souqs proudly displaying 18, 21, 22 & 24 carat gold jewellary. 

Promotions on Buying Gold in Gold Souq

There are always attractive promotions running in Gold Souq, The promotions are aggresive during DSS, DSF and other events. Gold is aggressively promoted with special offers & raffle draws during Dubai Shopping Festival & Dubai Summer Surprises. All kind of Jewelllary  ( Indian type, western type), Diamonds, solid Gold bars are available with various shades white, pink, yellow etc. As The Gold rate is always fixed, the bargaining happens on the Making charges, you will be surprised to find that most expensive looking jewellary will have low making charges depending on machine made or Hand made.  

Prices of Gold in Gold Souq & Purity of Gold in Dubai

The prices of Gold in Gold Souq in dubai may not be lowest but the purity of the Gold is granted. The purity is written on the gold , In Dubai Gold Souq 24 carret is 100% 24 carret with no impurities, thats why people say that Color of Gold in Dubai is different than gold color in other parts of the world.

Prices of the gold becomes very attractive in Gold Souq with various promotions & actually becomes lowest in the World clubbed with promotions. Gold price in Dubai is  determined by weight + Making Charges; making Charges also varying depending on whether it is machine-made or by a craftsman.

Dubai Gold Souk is worth a visit even if you have no intention of buying. It would be hard to resist the temptation to buy them. 

Bargaining about the price is like a tradition in gold souq.

Best Time to visit Gold Souq

The best time to visit gold souq is the late afternoon. Usually, the shops are open until 10:00 pm. 

How to reach the Gold Souq

Gold Souk is located near Dubai Creek in Al Ras area of Deira. You can reach it with public buses, metro, taxi or water taxi (from Bur Dubai). We don't recommend to go by car as the area is very crowded and to find a parking could be difficult.

Address : Deira (near Baniyas Square) Sikkat al-Khali Street, Dubai, UAE.
Direction : Taking a car is difficult as parking is extremely scarce. It's best to go down to Creek in Bur Dubai and take an 'Abra' (water taxi). The trip takes 5-10 minutes.

Dubai Spice Souq Tour

After the Gold Souq, It is time to experience the magical aroma of Aromatic Spices. The Dubai spice souk is located just next to the gold souk. 

you can feel the Aromatic and cintilating fragrance of spices, just as you enter the Spice Souk, In Spice Souk, you will find spices of all varieties:

• cardamom
• cinnamon
• saffron
• turmeric
• chilli
• curry leaves
• cloves
• nutmag
• Dates,
• Dryfruits
• Different sorts of Loose tea,
• Shisha and tobacco,

The spices are brought from the Middle Eastern region as well as from around other parts of the world.

The Dubai Spice Souq Tour is a must visit place.

About Dubai Perfume Souq

The Perfume Souk ( Fragrance market) is located on Sikkat Al Khail Road, Deira, very near to the  Gold Souk.

Perfume Souk of Dubai have thousands of different sweet fragrances shops. You will be really amazed and confused as your noistrils will be having a treat smelling different aromas. Shopkeepers in Perfume Souk,  will help you with a great zeal and enthusiasm to make you select a Good Perfume. You are suggested to pick Traditional Ittar, traditional Arabin Ouds, which can be very expensive.

Aromas at Perfume souq, range from traditional Arabic Ittars to latest perfumes all under same roof. Perfumes may be available in various shopping malls, but perfume souk is the best place to choose among a wide variety.

In addition to perfumes, you can also buy incense at the Dubai perfume souk. You will find Incense in the form of sticks, powder, crystal, rock and wood. 

Frankincense is the most popular incense in middle east and easily available in every store at the Dubai perfume souk. 

Notes

1. Since, Arabian perfumes are oil based, they leave a stain when sprayed on clothes. Hence please be careful.

2. Spending too much time in perfume souk, means you might be inhaling too much vapours, which may be harmful, hence you are suggested not to spend too much time in the Dubai Perfume Souq.