Arab Souk Bingo

One of our favorite things to do when traveling and exploring is to find local life and culture. Since we’ve been living and working in the Middle East recently, we’ve come to enjoy the markets in this area so much! 

When we started exploring Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman, we fell in love with the old markets (souk/souq) due its charm and lively atmosphere. This is the place where the action is. Businesses are thriving here, people are buying their daily needs and some luxury items, everyone is out enjoying each other’s company, and it’s always a great place to find a souvenir to remember your trip. 

If you’ve ever been to a souk (souq) or market in the Arab world, you’ve probably seen a lot of similar things. We started to notice that all the markets had a few things in common like dates, Arabic coffee, prayer beads, traditional male and female outfits for sale, bakhoor (incense), and always gold for sale. It sparked an idea that hopefully you can enjoy on our trip. 

I present to you… Arab Souk Bingo! Feel free to print this out or pull it up on your phone next time you happen to go to a market and see how many you can cross off your list while exploring the market! 

Arab Souk Bingo – Penley Perspective

Special shout out to Shaikha AlBader for making my vision come to life in this adorable pdf for you! 

If you are looking for specific details about different souks in the region, below is the write up and link to each country and article. Hope you enjoy!

Dubai – Old Souq 

On the north side of the city is the Old Souq or market areas. It is split in two by a river which is actually really easy to cross with a boat ride on your NOL Silver Metro Card! You can also buy a one way ticket at any of the Metro water taxi stops. You can’t miss them. On the north side of the river is where you’ll find the old Gold and Spice Souk. You can get lost in all the small alleyways finding souvenirs and treasures around every corner. While a lot of the things are trinkets and cheaply made, there are a few good things including real gold, spices, and antiques. Also, haggling is an art form here. It’s not offensive and it’s expected to barter so never accept the full price. You can also get better deals if you bundle. So let’s say you are going to buy a scarf, a camel plushie, and a fridge magnet. Get them all at the same vendor and barter a group price. Also make sure you bring cash to pay at these small vendors as most do not accept credit cards. If you continue to walk north, you’ll find many electronic stores and daily life stores for locals. 

Cross the river to the south and while it’s still markets, it has a very different feel. Al Seef and Al Fahadid neighborhoods were built to look like the old markets but are brand new. Pro tip: There are better antique shops in Al Seef if that’s what you are looking for. In these two neighborhoods, you’ll find many higher end restaurants. We recommend Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe to try their Arabian Breakfast. This is a great sampling of local food including haloumi cheese, cream and honey, olives, pita breads, and jams. Also try a pot of their Karak Tea. It’s a local sweet milk black tea that is the perfect way to complement the meal. 

To the east you’ll find Bur Dubai Souk, near the Shree Krishna Hindu temple. Many of the stalls are selling flowers and other offerings for the temple. While we weren’t able to enter the temple, if you want to visit a Shree Krishna temple, check out the one in Bahrain for free tours (more information below). Here in Bur Dubain Souk, you’ll also find cheap clothing and many everyday living things here too. 

Doha, Qatar – Souq Waqif

Souq Waqif is a must see stop for anyone coming to Doha. It’s absolutely beautiful and a great place to walk around at night. This Souq may be one of the bigger ones in the Middle East. While you can tell it’s newer, they kept the old charm of the narrow alleys and the original sandy facade. Most of the restaurants have patios with outdoor seating which makes for a great dinner and people watching. It’s honestly enchanting to walk around at night with the white lights. As for souvenirs, the products they sell on the main streets of the market are pretty cheap, dime a dozen souvenirs like camel magnets, Qatar flags, t-shirts. If you are looking for these things though, this is the best place to buy. All the other stores in other parts of the city are more regular malls so get your goods here. 

To find the good stuff, venture farther back into the winding alleys. There is a section selling traditional dresses and abayas so if you want the long beautiful dresses the women wear, you can find it in the tailor shops. Also there is only one section that sells authentic hand made goods. Here you can get handmade pottery, leather goods, swords, daggers, silver and copper goods. If local art is what you’re looking for, take a walk through the air conditioned sections called Souq Waqif Art Center. Here local artists are at work showing you their process, talking about their art and letting you experience it all. This is a great place to buy a piece of local art to take home. Don’t forget to look up because the lighting in this building is just as impressive as their artwork. 

For restaurants in the Souq, we recommend: Layali Al Qahira restaurants for some delicious Egyptian food with great outdoor seating. If Thai food is what you’re craving, check out Jasmine Thai on the second floor for real authentic flavor! Usta Turkish is a great Turkish restaurant serving authentic flavors with a great corner spot for wonderful people watching.

Cairo, Egypt – Khan el-Khalili Bazaar 

We’ve been to markets all over the world and we think this one might be our favorite. Why? The architecture of the buildings, the many roads to explore, the fact that it didn’t smell and it’s not dark and dingy. In between tourists goods, you’ll find local shoppers, mosques, and cafes. While vendors can be excited to sell you goods (maybe too pushy), if you politely decline a few times, they tend to leave you alone. Feel free to haggle a lot here. They’ll act like they don’t like it but we got the price down by almost 75%. Most of these goods are not real or authentic but they aren’t hiding it. Most are just trinkets and souvenirs. Grab a coffee or tea at any local cafe to rest your feet and prepare for more shopping!

Istanbul, Turkey 

The most famous is probably the Grand Bazaar and it’s definitely worth taking a visit. If you are looking for Turkish rugs, Turkish Delights or candies, jewelry, Turkish cotton towels or robes, or really any souvenirs, this place has it all. It could take hours if you slowly walk all the stalls but eventually it will all start to look the same so ask prices, compare and shop til you find what you want. There is a section of actual antiques if that’s what you are looking for, otherwise everything seems to be newly made. It’s not always the authentic or best made products so do your comparison. 

Just a few streets north is the Egyptian Bazaar which in our opinion, was more interesting than the Grand Bazaar. Since they are so close, you can walk through both on the same day. They do sell different products so take a look around. 

If you don’t have time to walk to the first two or want a little nicer of a Bazaar feel, stick to Arasta Bazaar right behind the Blue Mosque. It’s smaller but seemed a little higher quality or nicer of a market to walk around. 

Bahrain – Manama Souq

The Manama Souq is sprawling with so much to explore. They have block after block of stalls to wander through and get lost. Here you can buy anything from Persian rugs to spices to handmade goods. This is a great place to get souvenirs. Pro tip: The shops are open from 9-1pm and then 4-10pm so make sure to get there early or wait til the late afternoon/evening. 

There is a Shree Krishna Temple hidden in the streets of the souq! The people at the temple are so warm and welcoming. I highly recommend you stop by and get an English speaking tour of the grounds. After you take your shoes off, they will guide you around the temple sharing their history and excitement around their religion. We asked a lot of questions and our guide was so happy to answer. They allowed us to participate in their religious ceremony as well. I highly recommend making a stop here to learn about other cultures and religions and how they can co-exist peacefully. 

Kuwait – Mubarakiya Old Market

Mubarakiya Old Market is best experienced at night when the city comes alive. This market is mainly for everyday living but it’s fun to walk around. We recommend you stop at a date vendor and try some dates from the region but be warned as you might fall in love with them. There are many restaurants and coffee/dessert shops here for you to grab a bite to eat and people watch. If you are looking for oud or perfumes, there are many stores selling them. The Mubarakiya area is notoriously difficult to park at as so many people come here so you may either have to pay for parking (one of the few places) or park farther away and walk in. 

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – Old Jeddah, Al Balad

We’ve been to many an old town in other cities but none have ever been this large! It’s unclear when Old Jeddah was founded but in the 7th century it became a major trading port due to its location on the Red Sea. The history here is deep. The winding streets and old buildings are so intricate and maze-like. In 2019, the ruling family declared a multi-billion dollar renovation project to the area. You can see many fences blocking off historic buildings as they are working to restore them. But don’t let that deter you as there is still much to see and explore here. 

They are keeping the charm of the local life as they are highlighting the Rawashin style which is the intricate woodwork on the buildings windows and doors. It’s really beautiful. Also they’ve strung gorgeous big white bulbs across the walkways and removed lamp posts which give it such a nice charm at night. 

Speaking of, this area is best explored at night. During the day, the only shops open are tailors, shoes stores, or shops aimed for locals. But after 5pm, the place gets life. Full of excitement, families taking a stroll, stopping for coffee at the outdoor cafes. It’s much more charming at night to explore. You can walk almost all of it in just a few hours so we’d recommend just one night to see it all. Bonus points if you can find the soccer field sandwiched between all the markets. 

I also wouldn’t recommend staying in the area, yet. It seems like the only hotels or Airbnbs in the area are older and more run down. They are building what could be hotels in the future which would be charming to be in the area but right now, it seems like staying somewhere else and just taking a taxi down here might be the best idea. 

In terms of restaurants in Al Balad, there are two we definitely recommend. First is Granny’s Cuisine. It’s kind of an odd little restaurant but they serve traditional food at a really decent price. We had the Zurbian rice with chicken and the green salad. It was enough for two people! They literally cook everything fresh so we had 45 minutes to walk around and come back and the food was ready. The second place is fish. We originally wanted to go to Albasali Seafood Restaurant based on a review from this YouTube Video but it was a 2 hour wait! So we found  Ba’eshen Seafood and we were so glad we ate here instead. The prices for the same fish were 25% cheaper and the atmosphere eating at the outdoor tables just made for a fun night. Definitely recommend you try the Najil fish. The only way they serve it is fried but it’s insanely delicious, crunchy on the outside and soft, tender, and juice on the inside. Try the sayadiyya rice for great flavor as well. 

If you do happen to be in the area during the day, there is an absolutely stunning and beautifully manicured park on the east shores of Lake Arbaeen. Start at the sculptures in Lake Al-Arbaeen Park and walk north past the Jaffali Mosque to the stairs and back gardens of teamLab Borderless Jeddah. The path continues in a full circle around the lake if you want to continue. 

Muscat, Oman – Mutrah Souq

This souq feels like you are going back in time due to the winding streets under canopies of goods to be sold. Bartering is encouraged. Make sure to take a walk around and price shop before you decide to buy. This is a great place to get souvenirs like the kamma (traditional Omani mens caps) or frankincense. We learned that most frankincense, a fragrant tree sap, is tapped in the southern city of Salalah. It’s sold everywhere in the market and makes a great present to bring home. 

After exploring the Mutrah Souq, grab lunch at the Shawarma Spot on the main road. When you walk up it looks like a hole in the wall, with only 4 plastic picnic tables out front but it was the best shawarma we had all trip! Also walk a few blocks more to try the halwa at Al Diwaniya for Omani Sweets. You get a new taster spoon for each flavor before deciding which one you want to take home. Honestly, they are all amazing!