There's no ignoring Abu Dhabi's retail potential when it comes to the top reason most tourists choose to holiday in the desert city. Home to some of the Middle East's largest malls and department stores, Abu Dhabi's reputation as a shopper's hub is well established. But it isn't just the city's luxury shopping complexes that are drawing visitors; here are the other reasons why a shopping spree in Abu Dhabi is a welcome prospect for the travelling masses.

While they may not be as plush as the city's mega malls, the traditional Arabian bazaars known as souks are no less vast when it comes to square footage. Having been a permanent fixture in Abu Dhabi since time immemorial, these conventional thoroughfares are labyrinthine shopping destinations that enchant at every turn. While some souks specialise in certain products and wares there are also those that offer shoppers everything under the sun, in one maze-like compound where hundreds of vendors have set up shop. Al Mina Souk is perhaps Abu Dhabi's most traditional retail space as you can find everything from handicrafts and spices to clothing and raw ingredients. The Carpet Souk, however, is the best place to pick up Persian rugs, hand-woven carpets and stunning upholstery while the Souk Al Zafarana is another all-encompassing shopper's hotspot where trinkets, spices, perfumes, Henna and textiles are available all year round.

As a red letter event organised by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, the Abu Dhabi Shopping Festival is another reason behind the city's popularity as a shopaholic's paradise. With nearly 300 shopping malls and boutiques offering 75% off on most items, it is a bargain hunter's dream come true. Ideal for those looking to stock up on branded goods from Raha Mall, Madinat Zayed Mall, the Abu Dhabi Mall and countless others, the festival takes place from December to April and capitalises on the tourist arrivals in the winter season.

Apart from its shopping festivals and outdoor markets, the wide range of exotic products on sale also sets Abu Dhabi apart from other shopping hubs. The hand-woven carpets for sale at the Iranian Souk or the Carpet Souk are one such example while Arabic perfumes or oud are another reason shoppers relish engaging in their favourite pastime in this corner of the UAE. Derived from Agarwood trees, oud exudes an aroma that's intoxicating and cleansing in equal measure and most tourists buy, chips or blocks and oil infused with the precious material as keepsakes. Abu Dhabi is also the best place to shop for quality dates and confectionary made using the fruit. Arabic coffee pots or Dallah pots and works of Sougha Art are other uniquely Middle Eastern and Emirati wares accessible in the city apart from wicker ware and household items made using Sadu or palm leaf weaving techniques.

As the best-known retail attractions in the U.A.E, Abu Dhabi's larger-than-life malls also draw shoppers to the city in droves. Whether you're based at Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Yamm Villa Resort or any other resort in Abu Dhabi, a retail tour of the city would not be complete without a stopover at the Yas Mall, one of the country's largest shopping compounds. The Marina Mall and the Al Wahda Mall are among Abu Dhabi's finest malls as literally hundreds of boutiques are contained within these massive complexes.

The city's reputation as one of the most reliable destinations for purchasing quality gold and diamonds cannot be overlooked. Famed for its intricately designed jewellery and elaborate goldwork, Abu Dhabi is a haven for those in search of valuable accessories or gold in its purest form. The Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre and Gold Centre is undoubtedly the ideal place to buy all that glitters in Abu Dhabi apart from the city malls which boast Cartier, Tiffany and Co or Chopard outlets.