Anyone visiting Dubai that is looking for a unique shopping experience needs to visit the famous Karama District, located near Dubai Business and Commercial District of Bur Dubai.  Karama’s shops offer great deals on Pashmina Shawls, Tableclothes, and Pillow Coverings, and those that love to bargain this is the place, as you can really practice your skills with the merchants here.  But, it’s the shopping behind the closed doors that people really go to Karama for.  My friends and I recently took a shopping trip to Karama.  If I had not been already educated on how much of the business was performed here, I probably would have been quite nervous when a small Pakistani man approached us and asked if we were “interested in brand names”.  When we gave him a positive response, he told us to follow him, as he walked us several blocks, down some side streets.  Had I not been with several women (a large enough group, that I felt the safety in numbers), and had not been aware of the “business conducted behind closed doors”, I’m sure that I would have run the other way.  We finally arrived at what looked like an apartment building, where we got into an elevator and took a ride up several floors.  When we got off, he walked us down the hall to an apartment, where he made a special knock on the door.  A few seconds later, the door opened and our escort ushered us in.  Yes, it was an apartment, but it was stocked with designer label items from floor to ceiling in every room.  From designer handbags, wallets, and cellphone cases, to designer watches and designer sunglasses, they had it all!  All the top designer houses were represented, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Chloe, Prada, Versace, Christian Dior, Baby Phat, Juicy Couture, Rolex, Monte Blanc, and yes, even Hermes.  You would have thought you were in Couture Heaven!

As we went around asking “how much?” the typical response was “No worries ma’am, pick what you want, and I give you good deal.”  So, it is just best to pick out everything you are interested in, and put in a grouping, for them to price out.  Keeping in mind, the more you buy, the better your bargaining power.  As you begin to wrap up, allow yourself plenty of time for negotiating, at this is an art form, and the merchants are skilled craftsmen in this area.  If you are not one who is skilled at bargaining, it is best to make sure that you bring along a girlfriend or family member that is, even if it is old Aunt Martha that you can stand being in the room for more than 10 minutes with, as it will be worth the savings!  On average, you can expect to get about a 40 - 45% discount from their originally quoted price, but that does require time and some negotiation skills.

Once the deal is complete, your escort will usually provide you a card, so you can call the next time you’re in the area to do some shopping.  These escorts are obviously on commission, so they want you to continue to work with them.  I suggest you take the card, and if they have not offered, ask them for one.  It is helpful for 2 reasons: First, you don’t have to wait to be approached by someone, and go through the uncomfortable process of following a stranger to a strange place to view their merchandise.  This is especially helpful if you are not with a large enough group to feel safe.  Calling in advance, you can meet your escort, and have some level of comfort with who he is and where he is taking you.  Secondly, you might on occasion have purchased a flawed item.  The merchants are more than willing to exchange the defective item for you, but you have to know how to be able to reach them.   I have heard of a couple of incidents where this has happened, and the merchants were very cooperative in taking the defective purchases back and allowing the customer to exchange it for something else.  Just beware, as the return trip may cost you even more if you happen to see more things that catch your eye!

The Grand Opening Celebrations at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, was one for the memory books.  At a cost of nearly $20 million, it is touted as the most expensive private party in history.  With over 2000 celebrities in attendance, its guest list included such names as:  Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Janet Jackson, Lindsay Lohan, Cherise Theron, and Quincy Jones.  The night’s entertainment was a cross-cultural event with the famous Lebanese Singer, Nawal Zoghby, opening the show, and at a cost of $4 million, Kylie Minogue was the Headline Performer.
Security for the event was quite intense.  Access to the Palm Jumeirah, where the Atlantis is located, was restricted.  Unless you are a resident of the Palm, or a guest of a resident (guests needed to arrive before 4:00 p.m. to gain entrance), you were not allowed access.  It was approximately 5:30 as we approached the entrance way into the Palm Jumeirah.  There were police barricades and security turning much of the long line of traffic away.  Without the proper resident access card, gaining entrance was futile.  We finally made our way past security and all the barricades to the villa, where we settled in to enjoy the evening’s festivities.   Located on Frond F, the beachfront property was the ideal spot, with an unobstructed view of the Atlantis before us.  We enjoyed an evening of barbequing and drinks, as the sun set and we watched the magnificent display of images reflected onto the façade of the hotel.   The most amazing was the 3D images of 2 Aladdin Lamps appearing.  These hologram images were so realistic, one would think that they were actually part of the Atlantis.  An amazing sight, but nothing compared to what was in store for us later in the evening.  As the evening progressed, we could hear the “La la la, la la la la la” of Kylie’s famous “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”.   At approximately 11:30 p.m., the children had long since fell asleep, security was making its beach rounds, and we asked when the fireworks were scheduled to begin.  We were told “Soon, very soon!”  (Dubai is notorious for not following a committed schedule.  When first announced, we were told that the firework display would be held sometime between 8:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m.)  Soon after midnight, we could tell that the fireworks would soon begin, so we awoke the children, to prepare them for the show, but nothing was to prepare us for the amazing display of pyrotechnics.  What we were expecting was a beautiful display of fireworks over the Atlantis, what we got was an interactive display, with us being right in the middle of the show.  Fireworks were going off up and down the Frond, and all around us.  It was truly an amazing sight!   As I watched in amazement, I realized that this was bigger than just the Atlantis, and must be going on throughout the whole Palm Jumeirah.  I thought “What a magnificent sight this must be from the air”.  The 20 -30 minutes of fireworks exploding all around us seemed to go on forever.  Jaw dropped, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the display.  Each time the fireworks would lessen, and I thought they were coming to an end, another series would start up with great intensity.  When the show finally came to a close, the deep silence and smoke filled sky that left one with the impression that they were standing in the middle of a battlefield in war-torn Bosnia.  All I could say was “WOW”!