Sharjah Blue Souk

Adult supervision required

Food & Refreshments

Wheelchair Accessible

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This vast destination boasts an impressive array of well-stocked shops for every need. Notably, it hosts a convenient bus stop for the Sharjah bus tour, making it an excellent starting point for exploration. The real highlight is the stunning, panoramic view of the city skyline it offers. This spot is a photographer's dream, providing a perfect backdrop for capturing truly amazing and memorable photos. A must-visit for both its retail offerings and its breathtaking vistas.

The Central Souq of Sharjah is a timeless marketplace where tradition meets elegance. It’s the perfect place to find curated designer wear, fine garments, exquisite Arabian attars, French perfumes, gold and silver jewelry, carpets, antiques, and so much more — all under one roof.

The iconic building is well maintained, with a freshly painted exterior that adds to its classic charm. Interior renovations are currently underway and expected to be completed soon, promising an even better shopping experience.

Whether you're looking for something unique or just exploring, this souq offers a blend of culture, craftsmanship, and convenience.

The Sharjah Central Souq, also known as the Blue Souq, has been a part of my life since 2007. Over the years, it has become more than just a shopping destination—it’s a place full of memories, culture, and timeless charm. Whether we’re looking for watches, silver, gold, clothes, textiles, antiques, or traditional gift items, the souq has always delivered. It’s the kind of place that continues to serve locals and visitors alike with its wide variety of shops and vendors who know how to make each visit meaningful.

Walking through its corridors brings back a sense of nostalgia mixed with the beauty of traditional Islamic architecture. The blue-tiled façade, the high arched ceilings, and the intricate detailing all reflect Sharjah’s cultural heritage. But while the souq has managed to preserve its character, there are some aspects that urgently need attention—and I say this out of love and respect for this iconic destination.

First, I truly hope the management takes a closer look at the condition of the toilets. They are one of the most frequently used public facilities, and unfortunately, their current state does not reflect the quality or dignity of such a landmark. The cleanliness, design, and general upkeep of the washrooms need a complete revamp. It’s time they match the standard of the rest of the experience.

Second, there are broken floor tiles in many sections of the souq—this not only looks neglected but also poses safety issues for shoppers, especially the elderly or those with children. The flooring needs to be repaired and polished to give the space a fresher, more welcoming atmosphere. In fact, I would love to see an overall enhancement of the interior design, including better lighting, more organized shopfronts, and a subtle modern touch while preserving the traditional character. When you walk into any mall in Dubai, you feel like it was just built yesterday—clean, updated, and maintained to the highest standard. That feeling is what Sharjah’s central gem also deserves.

Let’s be honest: Sharjah Central Souq is one of the most iconic marketplaces in the UAE. It’s not just a shopping center—it’s a landmark. It deserves a facelift, not a replacement. With the right attention and investment in interior updates, cleanliness, and infrastructure, it could once again be one of the most attractive spots in the country.

Lastly—and this is a very important point—parking. Why is there still no free parking for visitors? In Dubai, many malls offer free parking as a basic courtesy to customers. But in Sharjah, especially at such a major and historic destination, paid parking continues to be a burden. This discourages people from spending more time and money at the souq, and it really shouldn’t be the case. I urge the authorities to reconsider the parking policy and find a solution that encourages rather than deters shoppers.

In summary, I truly admire the Central Souq—it has served us for nearly two decades and continues to do so with pride. But I hope the management and local authorities recognize its true value and give it the care it truly deserves. With just a few key improvements, this place can shine again like it did in its golden days—and compete proudly with any shopping destination across the UAE.

Very good place to shop local stuff.
Good varieties of carpets, burqas, gold jewelleries, etc.
Architecture of the Souq is so nice, the blue marbles looks great.
Kind people.

Too much to walk, old building maintained well with a lot of shops, for cloths, shoes, bags, and ornaments all around. A nice view park is also available with corniche side of the sea makes the evening delightful..

Good place for gold and abaya shopping. Not too crowded in the middle of the day.

This is a shopping mall for Gold, if you like jewellery and gold accessories this is the mall to come to.
This gold souk is in Sharjah not far from Dubai and is easily commutable by taxi or car.
Even if you don't want to buy anything it is still a nice shopping mall to see, even the exterior is a work of art. Highly Recommend for gold shopping.

When you visit UAE, don't miss Sharjah!! It's a wonderful place rich of emotions and good time to spend. I found The Blue Souk in Sharjah, in January, during my visit in UAE, while I as walking around the beautiful Sharjah. The Souk is a vibrant and bustling marketplace that's a true feast for the senses. Its striking blue architecture is a standout feature, and inside, you'll discover a treasure trove of local crafts, jewelry, textiles, and more. It's a fantastic place to explore and shop for unique souvenirs, or simply soak in the lively atmosphere. While it might not be as famous as some of the grander shopping centers in the region, the Blue Souk offers an authentic and colorful Arabian shopping experience that's well worth a visit. It's a great place to immerse yourself in the local culture and find one-of-a-kind items to remember your time in Sharjah.

A beautiful mall boasting the arab architecture. It's right next to Etihad Park and is close to Jubail bus station. This mall is for Gold lovers.

The Souk al-Markazi (Central Market), popularly known as the Blue Souk, is an iconic landmark made in 1978. A shopping hub with over 600 shops across two levels, The upper level has shops featuring arts, antiques, crafts and regional specialties like handwoven textiles and intricate carpets. On the lagoon-side, you’ll find a golden row of glittering jewellery shops with  authentic Arab, Indian, Asian and European styles. Always look out for a deal and everything is negotiable.

Good shopping experience.
Easy parking all around .
Benches for sitting and snack sellers in every block.
The kids can move around freely while the men sit and wait for women to complete theit shopping.
Comfortable for all the family.

Very large assortment of products by independent shop owners under the same roof. Next to it there's a beautiful picnic area overlooking the Lake. Bargain here is very common and is expected. However, keep in mind that this is a tourist attraction so you can't get the best prices in here. You would have to go to the old town if you're in for a bargain.

Went to buy earrings studs. So as a consumer I noticed something odd with some shops. They had them pinned already to the paper and did not weigh on scale instead read the weight from tag. The way I have read consumer rule they should put gold on the scale and the buyer should check the rate himself. So one meter should be facing us as a consumer. Few of them didn't. Rest its an amazing market with amazing designs available.

It's good if you like gold shopping. Stopping in every shop to closely examine every shiny piece of jewelry for 3 hours, then you will no-doubt enjoy.

Very good. Nice local shopping experience. One of the best place in Sharjah, UAE to buy carpets, gemstone jewellery, antique coins, textiles, traditional clothing etc. There are a some restaurants with multilingual menus. Overall this is a very souk in the Sharjah city.

Mind boggling jewelry. lines of shops selling ornaments all in one lane. Display of jewels you will keep staring wanting to buy all. Excellent variety and yes with the guaranty of original gold at good rates. 
Prices are high but there is an opportunity to bargain, the trick is, show interest and then walk away at the final bargaining price and there is an 80% chance the price will come down further.

This is a great place to buy local items such as local fashion etc. Also near the gold market.

Nice place for shopping for gold and jewellery. It's not too crowded.

Most tourist would really go there. One strip is for Gold Market and the other is for general stuff.

RAMADAN TIMINGS; 7:30 AM- 2:00PM and from 7:30PM till 12:00AM.
Somewhere beautiful to buy gold, perfumes, other accessories and many other things from. Too crowded on weekends and the parking is too hard to find.

A great market  place , specially for ladies . One wing has majority of Gold shops and another has Abayas , Kandooras ( Arabic dresses) , perfumes , footwear , a couple of shops selling antiques (Replica) makes it an interesting mix. Also the design of the Souq is unique and a tourist attraction in itself

Great place to get souvenirs and silver jewelry. There are also shops that sell original brands of perfume at half the price. These are not knock offs but rather testers and perfumes without the branded boxes. Well worth a visit.

Great peace of architecture. Ideal place to buy gold  and visit only to see the beautiful buildings. Located beside majaz waterfront nice place to shop and hangout

If you are in the market for beautiful carpets, this is the place to go. Excellent choices from Iran and Afghanistan abound. There are also a number of jewelry shops and shops selling other decorative items such as printed tablecloths from Iran, pillow covers and shawls from India and much more. The good stuff is on the second floor. The shops on the first floor sell rather ordinary items. 

Bargaining is expected. Note that shops close down for an afternoon break and don’t open again until 4. Carpet shopping takes time and don’t feel obligated to buy if you don’t see something you like. Unfurling carpet after carpet is part of the salesman’s routine. And you may get served a nice cup of tea.

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