Waterfront Market Dubai is a neat, new place of food that is fresh in Deira, Dubai. It was opened in June 2017 and took the place of the old Deira Fish Market. The market is housed in the Deira Corniche and is across from Dubai Hospital. This big market is 120,000 square feet and combines old market attractions with a cool, clean indoor space.
Buyer can choose their desired fish or lobster and ask restaurants in the market to cook it. So, shopping in this Market will no longer be a bore for tourists or locals.
Location and Access
The market is located on the side of the street, not far from Dubai Hospital, on Corniche Road in Deira. People can easily access this by taking a bus or a train. Salah Al Din train station is within a walkable distance of 15-20 minutes from there. There are a few bus routes (17, C10, C15, C3, E306, etc.) that stop at the market. The drivers will be able to park their cars directly at the market.
History and Ownership
The Deira fish market was established in 1958. It was the only fish market of Dubai and thus of great significance. However, with the passage of time, it became very small and was not kept clean. The government hired the Ithra Dubai company to build a new, better market.
On June 11, 2017, the sellers moved to the new market. The new market opened to the public on June 12, 2017. It’s always very crowded because now more than 800,000 people come here every month. The market sells over 100 tons of fish each night.
Ithra Dubai is still the owner of the market and maintains it too. They ensure that the facility is kept clean, well-run, and convenient for all customers.
Market Sections
1. Fish and Seafood
The fish area is the main part of the market and a place where you can find fresh fish coming from the Arabian Gulf and other countries. To mention a few, hammour, kingfish, salmon, prawns, and lobsters are the types of fish that people can buy here. Most shops are ready to clean and cut the fish to customer demand for a small fee.
- Local fish available: Hammour, kingfish, sheri, safi
- Imported seafood: Norwegian salmon, Canadian lobster, tiger prawns, squid
2. Meat and Poultry
Positively, the meat products that are sold are fresh beef, lamb, goats, camels, and chickens. The entire meat in the two theme rooms keeps it fresh and clean. Various shops accommodate customers who buy meat in large quantities, which they can use for their big family meals and parties.
3. Fruits and Vegetables
Additionally, it is worth noting that this market is home to over 150 shops. Of course, this section is dazzling with local farms’ and other countries’ first-class fruits and vegetables. Very popular among the mangoes, pineapples, and fresh berries can be gotten here. Crucially, food stores give away special deals when they are available.
4. Spices and Dry Goods
This market is not only good quality spices but also herbs and spice mixes. With different spices like saffron, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and za’atar. You can choose nuts, honey, rice, and lentils from this market.
Dining and Restaurants
Paluto Restaurant
Pick the fresh seafood yourself, and the kitchen will cook the food for you. It is a unique opportunity to cook seafood and make the whole family fun, and guests also find it enjoyable. Two people can eat it for 100-150 AED. The place is located a Paluto near the main entrance of the zoo.
Yahya Seafood
Pick the fresh seafood yourself, and the kitchen will cook the food for you. It is a unique opportunity to cook seafood and make the whole family fun, and guests also find it enjoyable. Two people can eat it for 100-150 AED. The place is located a Paluto near the main entrance of the zoo.
Aylla Cafe
Local and global cuisines are the highlights of the charming Aylla Cafe, with music and shisha, to a sensational experience and allow your guests to try them there as well. During Ramadan, a wide variety of traditional meals are offered, and many people attend the café’s splendid celebrations. Two people can consume between 39-100 AED. Aylla Cafe is located a few meters from the resort near the pool.
Desi Delight
Pakistani food is what Desi Delight is famous for. Comb rice dishes and meat skewers are the two popular foods that people come here for. It offers the best food at a very low cost than other places, and this is the reason families like it. Two people spend 70-100 AED. Desi Delight can be found in the zoo’s snack corner.
Zee Square / Karakna Café
This café is perfect for the most popular foods, such as quick food, and drinks like tea, coffee, and sweets. The tourists come here to take a rest after watching the zoo. Two people may eat for 30-50 AED. This cafe is situated just next to the top of the play zone for the kids.
Visiting Information and Tips
Opening Hours
You can buy everything you need in this Market because it is open whole day and night on all days of the week, so that you can do your shopping whenever you want. When the supermarket is closed at night, you can still buy other items, like fish, produce, and spices. The seafood area may temporarily shut down for Iftar (6:15-8:15 pm, 6:15-8:15 pm, one hour on Fridays) during Ramadan.
Best Time to Visit
It’s better to visit in the morning, during the week, because fresh deliveries happen once. Besides, there are not so many people during these hours. Friday is crowded around the noon prayer time. That’s why some people finish their work and leave for the mosque.
Prices and Bargaining
Having your negotiation skills, for example, can be an added feature of doing your shopping, especially when you buy goods in bulk. These also concern mall supermarkets-cooking vegetables is served in a big servings. Holiday special Ramdan with AED 500, you can get 1kg of free premium dates.
Facilities and Best Times to Visit
Available Services
- Parking: Both indoor and outdoor parking spaces are available.
- Prayer rooms: One each for men and women
- Fish meat cleaning: The service can be availed against a certain fee.
- Restrooms: Neat and airy
- ATMs and money exchange: Located in the mall
- LuLu Hypermarket: For everyday groceries
When to Go
- Morning (6-9 am): Fresh vegetables and fruits, and minimal human traffic
- Weekdays: Relatively free roads and lesser human traffic than on weekends
- Ramadan nights: Theme nights, meals, and spiritual experiences to be experienced
- Fish shopping: The best days to go shopping are Monday and Tuesday for the most profitable deals.
Fish Market Comparison
Waterfront Market, Dubai
This Market, as it comes in new looks, is a very clean facility indeed. It is a place that tourists visit to take photos of themselves alongside the ancient building. The market offers fresh and ripe fruit all year round in Dubai. It has a cool climate, clean areas, and resembles a mall more a usual market.
Mina Zayed Fish Market, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed Fish Market is a bigger and more old-style. People love the way the fish are jumping up and down before they are sold. Lovers of fish can have everything fresh that they seek from there. It reflects the history of Abu Dhabi’s fishing.
Sharjah Fish Market
Sharjah Fish Market is a lot smaller and is mostly used by local people for their shopping. The things for tourists do not require expensive materials. However, local people prefer it because they get fish at very low prices every day.
Toyosu Market, Tokyo
The biggest fish market in the world, Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, is the biggest fish market in the world. People know it for their sale of bluefin tuna and for the wide variety of exquisite seafood.
Conclusion
Waterfront Market is actually a very modern, yet clean facility where you can order produce, seafood, as well as dining items. Being a mix of cultural and advanced architectural might, this place is the most renowned among individuals and visitors. It is also worth mentioning that it is an amazing experience where it provides different options of shopping in Dubai, this is because the place is open all day and night.
FAQs
1. Who is the owner of the Waterfront Market?
Ithra Dubai who buys and managed the Market. Ithra Dubai is a company that works for the government.
2. What time does the Waterfront Market close today?
This Market is open for 24 hours. Only the LuLu Hypermarket inside closes at midnight.
3. What is the best day to go to the fish market?
Monday to Friday are days with good chances of fish being fresh. Best time to buy is in the morning hours.
4. What is the largest fish market?
Globally Toyosu Market in Tokyo. In the UAE Mina Zayed Fish Market in Abu Dhabi.
