Shopping malls are not just places to shop; a definite mall culture exists here and people come to the malls to meet, eat, play and mingle. Many malls provide entertainment and people of all ages can easily enjoy hours of fun inside them, even without shopping. Smoking is banned in all of Abu Dhabi’s malls (and some of the bars attached to them), which makes them clean, pleasant and family friendly.

Choices
With so much choice out there, most malls try to offer something unique to draw the crowds, meaning you’re likely to end up with a favourite. Some, like Souk Qaryat Al Beri and the World Trade Center Souk, feature remarkable, modern re-imagining of a traditional Middle Eastern marketplace. Indeed, the line between a mall and a souk is becoming increasingly blurred as developers roll out modern ‘souks’. Some malls, such as Bawabat Al Sharq Mall, have traditional-style souk areas within them.

Families and festivals
Most malls have at least one children’s play area, where you can leave your children under supervision while you shop. Many malls will host performances and entertainment for children throughout the year. At certain periods, however, activities are heightened to draw the crowds. SummerFest Abu Dhabi and EidFest for example, are festivals that run in malls across the capital with giveaways and special offers, and there are plenty of events and attractions aimed at the younger members of the family.

There is another sale period in January and February, when big discounts are offered in stores. In addition, the annual Dubai Shopping Festival, which also runs for a month around this time of the year and features gradually increasing discounts, is an important attraction.  Although they’re often remarkably quiet and pleasant to stroll through during the day, almost all of Abu Dhabi’s malls get extremely busy during these events. This is especially true of evenings during Ramadan.

Crowds
Regular weekends and evenings, particularly weekend evenings, also attract hoards of shoppers; if you’re not a fan of crowds, it’s probably best to avoid hitting the mall at these times. Most of the malls have plenty of parking and well-served taxi ranks, although both are often stretched to their limits at the weekends when everyone turns up to shop and stroll.