Start with luqaimat, kunafa and Umm Ali. Luqaimat are Emirati fried dough balls with date syrup, kunafa is hot cheese pastry soaked in syrup, and Umm Ali is a creamy Egyptian bread pudding. Counter sweets usually cost a few dirhams to about AED 20, and plated desserts cost more. This guide covers eight sweets, the best places to find them in Old Dubai, Deira and the malls, allergy tips, and how our Old Dubai walking tour, from $35, adds tastings.
By SB Excursions · Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 29 October 2026
Tour on this route: Old Dubai Walking Tour — From $35 per person, 3-4 hours.
What is the best Arabic dessert to try in Dubai first?
Luqaimat, the Emirati fried dough balls with date syrup. Counter sweets cost a few dirhams to about AED 20, and a portion is easily shared between two. Try kunafa and Umm Ali next.
This guide also answers:
- Are the sweets on your Old Dubai walk included?
Six places to find Arabic sweets
#1
Luqaimat at heritage cafés in Al Fahidi
The courtyard cafés in Al Fahidi and Al Seef serve luqaimat hot, with date syrup, usually with Arabic coffee or karak. This is the most local way to try the Emirati sweet, and the lanes are pleasant in the morning and at dusk. A portion is easily shared between two. Check hours before you go, since small cafés keep their own.
#2
Kunafa at sweet shops in Deira and Karama
Lebanese and Syrian sweet shops sell kunafa, baklava, basbousa and trays of syrupy pastries across Deira, Karama and Satwa, usually by the slice or the piece. It is cheap, fast and eaten on the spot or taken away in a box. Go in the evening, when the trays are full and the kunafa comes straight from the oven.
#3
Umm Ali and plated desserts in restaurants
Umm Ali, a warm milk-and-pastry pudding with nuts and raisins, is on most Arabic and Egyptian restaurant menus and in hotel dessert rooms, and it arrives hot in a small dish. Prices are higher than at a counter and the portion is large, so share one. It is the sweet to choose for a slow evening rather than a snack.
#4
Dates, ma'amoul and gift boxes
Dates, stuffed dates and ma'amoul, the date or nut-filled semolina cookie baked for Eid, travel well and make easy gifts. Stalls in the souks and shops in the malls sell them loose or in boxes, and tasting before you buy is normal at the stalls. Our guide to dates in Dubai says which varieties to try.
#5
Ramadan and winter specials
In Ramadan, qatayef, the folded pancakes filled with cream or nuts, appear at cafés and bakeries after sunset. In winter, the Global Village food stalls are an easy place to graze, and Khaleej Times reported that this season opened on 14 October 2026, with entry at AED 25 on weekdays and AED 30 on weekends. Check the dates and hours before you go.
#6
Karak and Arabic coffee to finish
A cup of Arabic coffee, flavoured with cardamom, or karak, milky spiced tea, is the traditional partner to a sweet, and it costs a few dirhams at a cafeteria counter. The bitterness of the coffee and the dates cuts through sugar syrup. Karak is sweet and made with milk, so ask for less sugar if you prefer.
Arabic desserts in Dubai: the short answer
Try luqaimat first, then kunafa, then Umm Ali. Luqaimat are the Emirati one: small fried dough balls, crisp outside and soft inside, finished with date syrup. Kunafa is Levantine: a hot cheese pastry with shredded or semolina crust, soaked in syrup. Umm Ali is Egyptian: a warm pudding of pastry, milk, nuts and raisins. All three are sold in Dubai, and all three are best eaten hot.
Sweets at a counter usually cost a few dirhams to about AED 20, depending on the piece, and plated desserts in cafés and restaurants cost more, so read the menu. The easiest places are heritage cafés in Al Fahidi and Al Seef for luqaimat, Lebanese and Syrian sweet shops in Deira, Karama and Satwa for kunafa and baklava, and restaurants and hotels for Umm Ali.
A few honest points. These sweets are very sweet, rich and often contain nuts, gluten and dairy. One portion is enough for two. If you want a full introduction to Emirati food first, start with our guide to Emirati food.
Eight sweets to know
Names are spelt many ways (kunafa is also knafeh, luqaimat is also luqaimat or legaimat), so ask for a sweet by what it is.
| Sweet | What it is | Where it comes from | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luqaimat | Small fried dough balls with date syrup or honey | Emirati | Eat hot; contains gluten; sometimes sesame |
| Kunafa | Hot pastry layers with white cheese or cream, soaked in syrup, topped with pistachio | Levantine | Contains dairy, gluten and nuts; eat while the cheese is soft |
| Umm Ali | Warm pudding of pastry, milk, nuts and raisins | Egyptian | Creamy and rich; contains dairy, gluten and nuts |
| Basbousa | Semolina cake soaked in syrup | Across the Arab world | Dense; often with coconut or almond |
| Baklava | Layers of thin pastry with nuts and syrup | Levantine and Turkish | Sold by the piece or by weight |
| Qatayef | Folded pancake filled with cream or nuts, then fried or baked | Ramadan favourite | Appears at cafés and bakeries after sunset |
| Ma'amoul | Semolina cookie filled with dates or nuts | Levantine and Gulf | Baked for Eid; easy to carry home |
| Aseeda and khabees | Emirati dough sweets cooked with ghee, date syrup or saffron | Emirati | Home-style; ask at heritage cafés |
Ingredients vary by recipe. If you have an allergy, ask the kitchen.
Luqaimat: the Emirati one
Luqaimat are dough balls, made with flour, yeast and often cardamom or saffron, fried until crisp and finished with date syrup, called dibs, honey or sesame. Order them fresh and eat them on the spot, because they go soft within minutes. They appear at heritage cafés, malls, festival stalls and, in winter, at Global Village.
A portion is easily shared between two, and they pair with Arabic coffee, which cuts the sweetness. They contain gluten and usually dairy, and some are finished with sesame. They are also a Ramadan favourite, served after iftar, which our iftar guide for tourists covers. The dates guide explains the syrup.
Kunafa and Umm Ali: how to order
Kunafa has two textures. The rough, crunchy version uses shredded pastry; the smooth version uses fine semolina. Both are filled with soft white cheese or sweet cream, baked until golden and drenched in syrup, often with crushed pistachio on top. It is served hot, sometimes in a sesame bun for breakfast, and the cheese is the point. The viral chocolate bars sold as Dubai chocolate borrow the crisp shredded pastry from kunafa, and many shops sell versions of them, so check what you are buying before you pay.
Umm Ali comes in a small bowl or clay dish, hot from the oven, with a golden top. It is milk, pastry, nuts and raisins, soft and rich. It is easier to find in restaurants and hotels than at counters. Both desserts are filling, so order one to share at the end of a meal rather than one each.
Where to eat them, area by area
In Old Dubai, the Al Fahidi lanes and Al Seef have the cafés for luqaimat with Arabic coffee, and the streets of Deira and Bur Dubai have the counters for kunafa and baklava. Our Old Dubai eating guide goes street by street, and the street food guide lists the prices of the savoury snacks that come first.
In Deira, Karama and Satwa, Lebanese and Syrian sweet shops have trays behind glass, and you point and pay by the piece. In malls and hotels, Arabic dessert counters and restaurants serve Umm Ali and plated kunafa, at higher prices. In winter, Global Village has food stalls from many countries; reports say the season runs to May 2027 with no exact closing date published, so see the Global Village guide for dates and prices.
In Ramadan, qatayef, luqaimat and kunafa are at their busiest after sunset. Many counters close or serve discreetly in the daytime, and the Ramadan guide says what stays open. Eat sweets in the evening, with tea, and share.
A sweet crawl across the Creek
You can taste all three families of sweet in one easy afternoon from October to April. Start at Al Fahidi, near Sharaf DG station, with a portion of luqaimat and Arabic coffee in a courtyard café. Walk to the abra station by the Textile Souk, cross the Creek for AED 1-2, and look for a Lebanese or Syrian sweet shop in the streets of Deira for a slice of kunafa or a piece of baklava.
Finish with a karak from a cafeteria counter, then walk to the Gold Souk or catch the Metro from Al Ras. Share every sweet, and stop when you have had enough: the crawl costs little more than the abra fare plus a few small plates. In summer, do the same loop after sunset, when the lanes and the sweet shops come alive.
Allergies, vegetarians and kids
Most Arabic desserts are vegetarian and halal, but they are not allergy-friendly. Nuts, sesame, gluten and dairy are in nearly everything, and kitchens are shared. Tell the staff about allergies when you order, and ask before you try anything from a tray that looks unlabelled.
Children usually love luqaimat, but the syrup is hot and sticky, so let it cool. A sweet shop is a good short stop on a Creek day.
Taste them with a guide: the Old Dubai walk
Our Old Dubai walking tour is a shared group walk of 3-4 hours with an English-speaking local guide, from the Al Fahidi lanes by abra across Dubai Creek to the Spice and Gold Souks. The $35 price includes the abra, Arabic coffee or tea, dates and water; $55 adds Emirati street-food tastings. The line-up changes with the season, so ask us on WhatsApp what is on your date, including sweets. The Old Dubai food tour guide lists the stops.
Full prepayment confirms your place, and the meeting pin follows after payment. Free cancellation or a date change is possible up to 24 hours before the start. The tastings contain gluten and dairy and may contain sesame and nuts. If you want the evening in the dunes after a day of sweets, the full-day desert safari, from $45, serves a BBQ buffet and unlimited soft drinks at the camp.
FAQ
What is the best Arabic dessert to try in Dubai first?
Luqaimat, the Emirati fried dough balls with date syrup. Counter sweets cost a few dirhams to about AED 20, and a portion is easily shared between two. Try kunafa and Umm Ali next.
What is kunafa?
A hot Levantine dessert of shredded or semolina pastry layered with soft white cheese or cream, soaked in syrup and topped with pistachio. It is best eaten straight from the oven. It contains dairy, gluten and nuts.
What is Umm Ali?
An Egyptian warm pudding of pastry, milk, nuts and raisins, served hot in a small dish. It is common on restaurant and hotel menus in Dubai and is rich enough to share.
Where can I eat luqaimat in Dubai?
At heritage cafés in Al Fahidi and Al Seef, at some malls and festival stalls, and, in winter, at Global Village. Order them fresh and hot; they go soft within minutes.
Are Arabic desserts vegetarian and halal?
Most are vegetarian and halal, but they often contain nuts, sesame, gluten and dairy. Tell the staff about allergies when you order, because many sweets are made in shared kitchens.
Are the sweets on your Old Dubai walk included?
The $35 walk includes Arabic coffee or tea, dates and water. The $55 walk adds Emirati street-food tastings, and the line-up changes with the season, so ask us on WhatsApp what is on your date.
Can I get desserts in Ramadan during the day?
Many counters close or serve discreetly in the daytime, and sweets are busiest after sunset. Eat inside, out of respect for people fasting, and check the venue. Our Ramadan guide has the details.
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Photos: Kunafa at sweet shops in Deira and Karama — Jpbowen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Ramadan and winter specials — Slayym, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).