Emarati Girls

Emarati Girls, originally uploaded by !efatima.

22-24 karat gold is very popular in the Emirates. Young girls are usually dressed in the traditional gown and are adorned with gold jewelry on festive occasions.

The city is one of the largest retail gold markets in the world, selling everything from ingots to intricately hand crafted jewellery, and bargaining is welcomed almost everywhere. The Gold Souk area in Deira has glittering street-front stores and hides dozens of alleys housing smaller shops. The newly built Gold and Diamond Park on Sheikh Zayed Road is an attraction for serious jewellery shoppers.