The Textile Souk is a covered arcade of fabric shops on the Bur Dubai bank of Dubai Creek, beside the abra station and a short walk from Sharaf DG and Al Ghubaiba Metro stations. Tailors there copy a garment or a pattern from the cloth you choose, bargaining is expected and you should plan at least two fittings. This guide covers what to buy, how tailors work, how long to allow, haggling and how to fit the souk into a day in Old Dubai.
By SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
Tour on this route: Old Dubai Walking Tour — From $35 per person, 3-4 hours.
Where is the Textile Souk in Dubai?
On the Bur Dubai bank of Dubai Creek, beside the Bur Dubai abra station. Take the Green Line to Sharaf DG or Al Ghubaiba, or the abra from Deira for AED 1-2. It is free to walk, and Khaleej Times counted more than 400 shops, an older figure.
This guide also answers:
- What is the best time to visit the Textile Souk?
Five stops around the Textile Souk
#1
Tailors in and around the souk
Many shops have a tailor at the back who can copy a garment or a pattern. Bring a model or a drawing, write down every detail, ask for the total price and the pickup date in writing, and plan at least two fittings. The simpler the piece, the better it suits a short stay.
#2
The Bur Dubai abra station
A wooden abra crosses the Creek to Deira for AED 1-2, paid to the boatman on board. The boat leaves when it is full, and the crossing takes a few minutes. It is the cheapest way to link the Textile Souk with the Spice Souk and the Gold Souk, and the view of the dhows is part of the fare.
#3
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
Restored coral-stone houses with wind towers, shaded lanes, courtyard cafés and a coffee museum, free to walk. Our Al Fahidi guide gives a route of one to two hours. It is the natural stop before or after the souk, and a cooler place to sit while a tailor prepares a fitting.
#4
Al Seef, the Creek promenade
A promenade of about 1.8 km with heritage-style lanes, gift shops, perfume and oud stalls and cafés facing the Creek. It was built in the style of the old souks, and prices are those of a tourist waterfront, so compare a few shops and keep the bargaining for the Textile Souk.
#5
The Spice and Gold Souks across the Creek
Open sacks of spices, dried limes and frankincense in the lanes by the Deira abra station, with the Gold Souk and the perfume shops a short walk further. Go after 4 PM when the heat drops. Our Spice Souk guide and Gold Souk guide say what to check before you buy.
Textile Souk in Bur Dubai: the short answer
The Bur Dubai Textile Souk is a covered arcade of fabric shops on the Bur Dubai bank of Dubai Creek, beside the abra station and a short walk from Sharaf DG and Al Ghubaiba Metro stations. It is free to walk. You can buy cloth by the metre, scarves and pashminas, kaftans and souvenirs, and tailors in and around the souk will copy a garment or a pattern from the fabric you choose.
Bargaining is expected, and first prices are high. A Khaleej Times feature counted more than 400 shops in the souk, an older figure, and said evenings are the best time to visit. Tailors quoted in the same paper gave times from about a day for a dress to about a week for a suit, but that report is more than ten years old, so ask for a pickup date in writing and do not rely on it.
The honest summary: it is a good place for scarves, cloth and a simple made-to-measure piece if you arrive early in your trip. It is a poor place for a complicated suit on a short stay, and the arcade is hot in the middle of the day.
What you can buy: cloth, scarves and ready-made clothes
The souk is mainly a fabric market. Khaleej Times described fabrics from the Indian subcontinent and the Far East, with souvenirs on the side. The table shows what to expect for each kind of purchase.
| What | What to know | Haggling |
|---|---|---|
| Cloth by the metre | Khaleej Times lists brocade, cashmere, chiffon, chintz, crepe, silk, cotton, wool, polyester and nylon | Expected. Ask the price per metre, then the total for the metres you need |
| Scarves and pashminas | A label does not prove the fibre. A scarf sold as pashmina at a very low price is almost never real pashmina | Expected. Open at about half the first quote and compare two shops |
| Kaftans and loose abayas | Useful holiday clothes as well as souvenirs; try them on | Ask for one price for two or three pieces together |
| Souvenirs | Bags, small gifts and knick-knacks | Compare with Karama and the fixed-price shops in Al Seef first |
For the haggling method and the savings to expect, see our haggling guide. Our Dubai souks guide compares the Textile Souk with the Gold, Spice and perfume markets.
How tailors work in Bur Dubai
Tailors work at the back of many shops in the souk and in the streets around it, and Khaleej Times has described them copying an existing garment or a pattern. Gulf News, in a guide to bespoke suits, gave advice that applies to any tailor:
- Bring a model. Use a garment that fits, a photo or a drawing. Gulf News advises drawing diagrams and writing notes about exactly what you want.
- Choose the cloth first, or bring your own. Gulf News says tailors will often work with fabric bought elsewhere, and names the Textile Souk and Bur Dubai as good places to start looking.
- Match the cloth to the use. Gulf News warns that linen creases and picks up stains easily, which makes it a poor choice for office wear.
- Agree every detail. Write down the pockets, cuffs, lining and buttons. Gulf News reported buyers who received suits from cheaper tailors without requested features such as surgeon's cuffs or belt loops.
- Plan at least two fittings. Gulf News advises at least two trial fittings, even when you copy a suit that already fits.
- Get the total in writing. Ask for the fabric price and the stitching price separately and as one total, and ask what happens if the fit is wrong.
How long does a tailor take? Planning around your trip
We found no official turnaround time. Tailors set their own, and busy periods are longer. In an older feature, Khaleej Times quoted a Bur Dubai tailor who said the fitting is ready in about two days and delivery follows within a week, and a tailor in Meena Bazaar who said a dress is usually delivered within about a day. Treat these as the order of magnitude, not a promise.
| Piece | What tailors told Khaleej Times (older feature) | What we suggest |
|---|---|---|
| Dress or simple garment | Delivered within about a day, from a Meena Bazaar tailor | Order on your first or second day and ask for the pickup date in writing |
| Suit | Fitting after about two days and delivery within a week, from a Bur Dubai tailor | Order in the first two days of a one-week trip and agree the fitting times before you pay |
| Alteration of something you own | No figure found | Ask the shop and leave a day of margin before you fly |
These times come from a report more than ten years old. Confirm them with the tailor.
The practical rule: the shorter your stay, the simpler the piece. A shirt or a kaftan from a pattern suits a short stay. A suit needs at least two visits to the shop, so do not order it the day before you fly. If the tailor cannot promise the date, choose a ready-made item instead.
Haggling in the Textile Souk
First prices are high in the Textile Souk, and a counter-offer is part of the visit. Our haggling guide gives the working rule for scarves and souvenirs: open at about half the first quote, settle near two thirds of it and compare two shops before you commit. These are rules of thumb, not fixed rates.
For tailoring, negotiate the total, not each part. Ask for the price of the fabric and the stitching together, then ask for the total for two pieces; a shop will often give a better price for a package than for one item. Be ready to walk away, because the next shop is a few steps away and you may be called back with a better price.
Pay in dirhams and carry small notes, because change for a large note can be slow. Ask whether the shop takes cards before you agree on a price, and see our money in Dubai guide for cash and cards. Keep the receipt and any written note of the pickup date.
Getting there, hours and the heat
The souk is on the Bur Dubai bank of the Creek, across from Deira. Take the Green Line to Sharaf DG or Al Ghubaiba and walk. From Deira, the abra to the Bur Dubai station costs AED 1-2 and lands beside the old souk and the Textile Souk; see our abra guide.
We found no official opening hours. Shops set their own: most open in the morning and stay open into the evening, some close for a break in the early afternoon and Friday mornings are slow. Khaleej Times says evenings are the busiest and best time. The arcade is covered but not air-conditioned, so from May to September go after about 5 PM. Dress with shoulders and knees covered and wear comfortable shoes; our dress code guide has more.
Other places for tailors and fabric
Karama Market, on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, is the district's souvenir centre, and our Karama guide says tailors and alteration shops sit nearby. Meena Bazaar is a nearby shopping area in Bur Dubai with its own tailors; Khaleej Times said in an older feature that it had become expensive. Al Seef has gift shops and abayas at tourist-waterfront prices, so it suits a fixed-price souvenir, not a bargain.
Seeing the souk with a guide: our Old Dubai walk
Our Old Dubai walking tour meets in Al Fahidi near Sharaf DG metro, goes through the old Bur Dubai souk and Al Seef, crosses the Creek by abra and ends at the Gold Souk. It is a shared group walk of 3-4 hours with an English-speaking local guide, from $35 per person, or $55 with street-food tastings. The $35 walk includes the abra, Arabic coffee or tea, dates, water and entry to a heritage house.
It is not a shopping tour and there is no time for a fitting, but it shows you where the shops are, so you can come back and order. Full prepayment confirms your place, and cancellation or a date change is free up to 24 hours before the start. The walk is mostly outdoors and May to September is very hot. For an evening, the full-day desert safari, from $45, collects you from your hotel and is paid on the day.
FAQ
Where is the Textile Souk in Dubai?
On the Bur Dubai bank of Dubai Creek, beside the Bur Dubai abra station. Take the Green Line to Sharaf DG or Al Ghubaiba, or the abra from Deira for AED 1-2. It is free to walk, and Khaleej Times counted more than 400 shops, an older figure.
How long does a tailor in Bur Dubai take?
Tailors set their own times. In an older feature, tailors quoted by Khaleej Times said a dress within about a day and a suit within about a week. Ask for a pickup date in writing, and plan at least two fittings for a suit.
Can I haggle in the Textile Souk?
Yes, it is expected. Open at about half the first quote, settle near two thirds and compare two shops. For tailoring, negotiate one total for the fabric and the stitching, and ask for a better price for two pieces.
Is real pashmina sold in the Textile Souk?
Some shops may sell it, but a scarf sold as pashmina at a very low price is almost never real pashmina, and a label does not prove it. If you want certainty, buy from a shop with fixed prices and ask about the fibre content in writing.
Can a tailor copy a garment I bring?
Yes. Khaleej Times describes tailors in the souk copying an existing garment or a pattern. Bring the garment, a photo or a drawing, and write down the details you want.
Can I bring my own fabric to a tailor?
Gulf News says tailors will often work with fabric bought elsewhere. Ask first, and ask who is responsible if the cloth turns out to be wrong for the garment.
What is the best time to visit the Textile Souk?
Evenings, according to Khaleej Times, when the souk is busiest. From May to September go after about 5 PM, because the arcade is covered but not air-conditioned. Shops set their own hours, so check on the day.
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Photos: The covered arcade of the Bur Dubai Textile Souk with pointed timber arches and lanterns, and scarves and bolts of cloth hanging outside the shops — trolvag, CC BY-SA 3.0, Al Seef, the Creek promenade — Poorva90, CC BY-SA 4.0, The Spice and Gold Souks across the Creek — Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons).