Dubai airport shopping?

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joescrivens

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Anyone know if there is any decent shops in Dubai airport to buy camera lenses? I'll be passing through there next month and wondered if it would be a good opportunity to pick something up
 
eerrmmmm...

In the departure lounge (dont remember which terminal, sorry!) they have a general shop with a camera section although i don't remember them having a particularly large selection of lenses
 
If Abu Dhabi is anything to go by you can get the stuff more cheaply in the UK. Tax free UAE may be, cheap it ain't. For anything except junk! :thumbsdown:
 
I was there 2 years ago. There was nothing that could not be bought here over the net for a similar price or cheaper.
 
Have to agree with with the others, don't remember seeing any white lenses or red rings either last time I was there a few years ago. Prices were no different.
 
Yer am in agreement also, I went through Dubai last April and they had an electronics store which had a camera section but it wasnt mega cheap or anything, seemed to be the same price as the UK, if not more expensive!!
 
I was in Dubai in March/April 2008 and I agree with other posters' comments regarding the relative lack of bargains - except for one detail. I saw Sigma lenses for very very good prices all over the place. I paid £1000 for a 120-300mm f/2.8 which would at that time have been about £1700 in the UK. Even after I'd paid import duty and VAT at Heathrow it was only £1250 and still a bargain. It wsn't just that lens either - there were lts of Sigma lenses at low prices. I was tempted by the 800mm but couldn't have got it home.

No idea whether this is still the situation though. The shop I bought from (Grand Stores Dubai, in one of the big malls) doesn't seem to have its own website, and I can't find any Dubai price-comparison sites either.
 
StewartR said:
I was in Dubai in March/April 2008 and I agree with other posters' comments regarding the relative lack of bargains - except for one detail. I saw Sigma lenses for very very good prices all over the place. I paid £1000 for a 120-300mm f/2.8 which would at that time have been about £1700 in the UK. Even after I'd paid import duty and VAT at Heathrow it was only £1250 and still a bargain. It wsn't just that lens either - there were lts of Sigma lenses at low prices. I was tempted by the 800mm but couldn't have got it home.

No idea whether this is still the situation though. The shop I bought from (Grand Stores Dubai, in one of the big malls) doesn't seem to have its own website, and I can't find any Dubai price-comparison sites either.
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You paid the duty even though you were carrying the lens in your bag - why didn't you just make out that you took it with you?
 
Imagine because twas a business expense and needed all paperwork to claim the VAT back :thumbs:

Edit: and because that other way is naughty :naughty:
 
Eeyore said:
Imagine because twas a business expense and needed all paperwork to claim the VAT back :thumbs:

Edit: and because that other way is naughty :naughty:
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i guess so eh! I mean if you are claiming it back then no point not paying it in the first place
 
joescrivens said:
You paid the duty even though you were carrying the lens in your bag - why didn't you just make out that you took it with you?
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Because Customs men can identify where a lens/camera was bought from the serial number. And every time the lens is taken abroad and brought back you run the risk of being stopped and asked to provide proof that duty/vat has been paid. And the penalty for evasion.
 
anyone ever had that happen here where a customs officer stopped you and ran a check on a serial number?

personally I have bought many electrical items abroad and never had that happen to me, would be interested in stories people have when this did happen to them
 
Response to the OP.

Try www.dubaidutyfree.com, written on a bag that i got with some vodka i bought in Dubai Airport.
 
joescrivens said:
anyone ever had that happen here where a customs officer stopped you and ran a check on a serial number?

personally I have bought many electrical items abroad and never had that happen to me, would be interested in stories people have when this did happen to them
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Yes - a close friend of mine.
 
I've had a good look in both Duty Free and normal electronic stores in Dubai, and if anything the prices are a little higher than the UK. The UAE dirham is also quite strong against the pound at the moment, so probably difficult to find a bargain. Duty Free tends to have a very limited range of stock anyway (less than a UK airport Dixon's for example).
 
If you're only passing through, then it may be cheaper to look in the duty frees at your final destination ;)
 
You are better off buying in this country - not only are prices cheaper but also no problems with warranties.

My Dad lives in Dubai and still finds it cheaper buying in the UK and claiming the VAT back.
 
Was there in June 09 - would agree with other posters - there is an electronics store, with a camera section - but not a full selection of lenses. Think they had a couple of deals on point & shoots - but that was it.

I was going to say dixons tax free have stocks of lenses in there larger stores (e.g. manchester), which they don't advertise on their web site:cuckoo: - but given they are more expensive for a 7d than some high street stores.......

That said - I bought a samsung NC10 netbook in Birmingham DTF, and asked them to price match the price on the high street. I also asked them to knock off the VAT - given they were advertising as high street less tax, and the manager did the deal (with a little bit of arm twisting - like I want to know the name and address of your complaints dept.) To prove the price to match - I just got my iphone out and showed him the currys (same dixon stores group) current price, and worked out the price less VAT.

HTH
 
cheers all, looks like I won't be holding out for any decent glass then!
 
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