How to Get Luxury for Less in Dubai
Living in Dubai can be expensive, there’s no doubt about that. So I know how awesome it can be to find great discounts and bargains whether for shopping, dining, or anything really! That’s why I’ve searched high and low for the best Dubai deals. Find out how to get luxury for less at many of Dubai’s restaurants, spas, hotels, bars, movie theaters and more.
THE ENTERTAINER
I’ll start with the most well-known discount app that I’ve been using for many years, back when they used to sell print voucher books, The Entertainer. The Entertainer app, now digital, offers fantastic discounts of 25% on total bills or 2-for-1 electronic vouchers for many of Dubai's restaurants, attractions, retail, and activities. It covers a lot of popular spots and can save you hundreds of dirhams especially if visiting in pairs or in bigger groups. When purchasing, you have the option to select the emirate, and the voucher book which can be either Classic, Gourmet, or both. If used for dining, you’ll find vouchers dedicated to breakfast items, brunches, main courses, and buffets. There are delivery offers as well but typically with high minimum spends. Many attractions such as The Dubai Aquarium or Wild Wadi waterpark are also on the app; however require in-person booking therefore cannot be booked online in advance. Many spas are also featured on the app offering 2-for-1 massages and beauty treatments which do not necessarily have to be availed by 2 people on the same visit, rather can be used by 1 person on 2 different visits. So all in all, incredible value for money. The app can be shared with other family members so they can all avail the offers from the same book, rather than purchase their own independently. Pings are another fantastic feature allowing you to share individual vouchers with friends. Black-out dates do apply and I always suggest asking the venues in advance if the vouchers are valid for whatever I’m ordering.
CREDIT CARDS
Many credit cards in the UAE offer holders reward points for their purchases as well as discounts and lounge access in select venues. The best ones will typically offer an introductory offer of welcome points to jump-start your mileage account. For instance, HSBC’s Advance credit card allows you to earn Airmiles on your purchases in-store or online, which you can later redeem at participating vendors. Download the Airmiles app to your phone so that you can also earn extra miles when you shop and present the app at any of the Airmiles partners. If you pay your electronics shopping bill at Sharaf DG of AED 500 with your HSBC credit card and also show your Air Miles mobile app, you’ll collect a total of 1,000 Air Miles (500 from your HSBC credit card and 500 from Sharaf DG). The free points can be redeemed for things like products, services, airfares, and hotel stays. Worth noting is that HSBC’s Advance card, and many others, also allows you complimentary access to the Marhaba Lounge at Dubai International Airport. Many credit cards in the UAE also offer discounts in restaurants, hotels, and in movie theatres (my favorite perk!). While some venues will ask you if you have a particular card to avail the benefits, many do not, so it’s always a good idea to check your card’s privileges, often detailed online on the bank’s webpage. Vox, Novo, and Reel Cinemas all have different movie ticket offers that you can avail when you purchase your tickets.
PRIVILEE
As many people are postponing their summer vacations abroad due to COVID restrictions, there’s no reason not to have a break in your own city. Many of Dubai’s hotels have remortgage-your-house membership fees for their beach/pool clubs. However, there are a couple of other ways to have fantastic daycations at 5 star resorts without breaking the bank. Privilee is a lifestyle membership which offers unlimited access to the UAE’s best beach resorts, gyms, and courts plus discounts for room rates, F&B, spas, and bars. One can decide to take a dip at any of their 60+ different resorts, or work out at any of their 70+ gyms for a flat membership fee which is definitely worthwhile. They have annual membership options as well as short-term options if you’re not ready to tie the knot just yet. All adults require their own membership and up to 2 kids can apparently join free! Once registered, members can book their visits a day in advance at 8PM onwards on the Privilee app and show their membership card upon entry. When you visit, you can also find out which additional discounts you can avail if you decide to use any other amenities or when ordering food. Worth noting is that most venues only serve food and drinks after 11AM or 12PM. There is a current summer offer for 3 months for AED 1,599. The Entertainer also has 2-for-1 day passes as select hotels, and has just recently launched a Soleil voucher book which one can purchase with their other books; however, appears to mostly offer discounts rather than day passes.
DIRHAM STRETCHER
Dirham Stretcher, now renamed to SUM, is a superb initiative started by a group of friends on Facebook to help community members save money in the UAE by sharing tips and tricks. The Facebook group and the website/newsletter reveal many discount codes that members can use when shopping online. For example, codes for Namshi, Noon, Sephora, Carrefour, Gap, and many other retailers are available which are otherwise harder to find and the codes are regularly updated. The discounts are usually between 10 to 20% which are a nice bonus. The Facebook group is by membership only and encourages members to share any new deals that they come across. The group is especially useful if you’re looking for something particular in the UAE, as you can post a question about it and hopefully find vendors or recommendations from other members. Also, small businesses are encouraged to share their info (on Sundays only using #Sundaysouk) so we can all help support local.
CAREEM & UBER
Careem and UBER are both ride sharing apps which occasionally offer promo codes you can avail when booking your rides across the country. Although they used to have more frequent promotions before, the apps both send notifications to your mobile account or email with new promo codes that you can enter right before booking a ride, subject to their own terms and conditions and including a cap on the discount. Once a rider enters both pick-up and drop-off locations, they can then enter the discount code which is then applied to the fare. So, you will see the reduced fare before you finalize booking the ride. Some promo codes are locked to specific locations which are often signposted at the venues right by the taxi waiting areas or are found on the locations’ websites. For example, if you are a Careem user, you can get 30% off your ride to and from Madinat Jumeirah using the code ‘Souk’ which applies only to business class car types at the time of this writing. Both Visa and Mastercard occasionally have tie-ups with the apps and share unique promo codes when you ride and pay using specific credit cards. Tourists who opt for Etisalat mobile visitor lines also get to enjoy AED 100 worth of Careem credit as part of their package.
HAPPY HOURS + LADIES & GENTS’ NIGHTS
Between drink prices, tips, and cab rides, a night out in Dubai can become pricey. Luckily, many establishments in the UAE offer happy hours and Ladies and Gents’ Night promotions during the week where one can get complimentary beverages, discounts on admission or F&B, free shisha, and more. Gone are the days when Tuesdays meant a one-drink voucher; now there’s a different promotion almost every day of the week in many places. The website ladiesnightdubai.com is a great one-stop shop to discover deals for the ladies where you can filter by area and day. It also allows you to search for gents’ offers as well. TimeOut and What’s On have also compiled lists of all the venues which reportedly offer deals by day of the week. Links below. Ski Dubai currently has a Ladies’ Night offer on Tuesdays for AED 180 where ladies have the option of selecting from various ticket types including 2 hours of slope time or access to the snow park, and F&B options at Après and North 28 Restaurant.
www.ladiesnightdubai.com, TimeOut Ladies’ Nights, TimeOut Gents’ Nights, What’s On Ladies’ Nights
BUSINESS LUNCHES
Looking to try out Dubai’s most popular fine dining spots without breaking the bank? You can spend less than half as much as you would on dinner by opting for a business lunch on weekdays and still get the black cod from the dinner menu. On Sundays to Thursdays, many restaurants offer a set menu which buys you two or three courses along with coffee, tea, and/or water. The meals are usually great value and the deals are the perfect excuse for a quick escape from the office. TimeOut has compiled a list of the best deals you can find in Dubai, and you can also check the restaurants’ websites to find out what’s on the menu.
SALES & SHOPPING FESTIVALS
Getting the best prices often boils down to timing. By knowing when seasonal items are likely to go on sale and when major sales happen, you can buy a lot of things for a fraction of the price. I would first recommend signing up to newsletters from the retailers you want to shop from. Often, companies send unique promo codes or offer members-only discounts if you subscribe to their newsletters. Having a separate email dedicated to registering for newsletters is the best way to avoid mixing your regular mail with sales campaigns, and to avoid spam. Many places often share invites to exclusive launch events, birthday promotions, or announce flash sales by email first, before marketing elsewhere. Secondly, I would postpone all major buys until the shopping festivals begin. In Dubai, the 2 biggest sales that happen annually are the Dubai Summer Surprises (this year from July 1 to September 31, 2021) and the Dubai Shopping Festival (this year from December 15 2021 to January 29 2022). You’ll find discounts of up to 90% in thousands of stores across the emirate including big name brands and get the chance to enter draws to win big prizes. There are a few other sales that happen throughout the year such as Black, White, and Yellow sales on select days as well as 3-day ‘supersales’ usually announced in advance.
BLUE REWARDS PROGRAM
The Blue Rewards Program is a new loyalty program launched by the Al Futtaim Group who manage companies such as IKEA, Ace, Toys R Us, and many more. By downloading the mobile app and registering, you can access exclusive Blue offers, unlock 2-for-1 offers at various restaurants and shopping outlets, and opt for a cash-back option at select stores. One note-worthy perk is 1 complimentary IKEA delivery offer which is worth AED 75 (and more) if you’re shopping in-store. IKEA also has its own IKEA Family rewards program which you can sign up for, and present your mobile number when you visit to avail member discounts on select products, deals on services (set-up etc), a free hot drink every time you visit, and food discounts. Note: you can present both the Blue Rewards Program and IKEA Family account at the same time to avail as many offers as applicable.
CARREFOUR COUPONS
When you shop at Carrefour, your receipt usually comes with a few discount vouchers at various outlets, typically fast-food joints. Not really ‘luxury’ dining options but still a bonus nonetheless. For example, Papa Johns currently has an offer to buy any 8” pizza for AED 15, discounted from the original price of AED 29. Burger King also has an offer ‘The Royal Deal’ where you can get 1 chicken royale + 1 chicken burger + 1 value fries + 1 value drink for only AED 15. These vouchers can be redeemed at participating outlets and are valid for a limited time period. Just make sure to carry a magnifying glass as the fine print is microscopic.