This mall in Karama is a Filipino gold mine
AL ATTAR SHOPPING CENTRE, BELIEVED TO BE IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984, IS A FAVOURITE DESTINATION FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF EXPATRIATES
No one can quite remember when the Al Attar Shopping Centre opened in Karama. All everyone knows is that over the years, despite the rise of swankier new shopping districts in Dubai, the five-storey building still attracts a swarm of shoppers, particularly Filipino expatriates.
A mall representative said the trade licence was issued in 1984, “which means it should have been opened that same year”. That makes Al Attar Shopping Centre 34 years old!
But what makes this unpretentious gold-coloured shopping centre such an expat shopper’s gold mine?
It was already a busy, all-inone centre back in 2001 when there were fewer Filipinos in Dubai. It was the go-to place for shopping, check-ups with Filipino doctors or dentists, and the hub for web chats with families back home in the now defunct internet cafes.
Those cafes, of course, have now been replaced by more shops, Gulf News noticed when we visited the iconic shopping centre on Tuesday.
In a lot of ways it has morphed into a Filipino-themed shopping hub, with more than 100 shops selling everything from walis tambo (traditional Baguio broom) to taho, a traditional Filipino snack made of soft tofu and tapioca pearls. Secondhand clothing shops Filipinos call Ukay-Ukay have also taken up residence in this small ■ space. No wonder Filipinos call it the Divisoria of Dubai. Divi, as Filipinos call the commercial centre in Tondo in the Philippines, is popular among shoppers for its low-priced goods; the same theme in Al Attar Shopping Centre.
Foodie’s haven
When it comes to food, this place is a foodie’s haven. There are six Filipino restaurants with speciality food. Cucina has a meal named after a popular Philippine fiesta, as well as street food like isaw, chicken intestines in skewers, at a 3-for-Dh10 offer. There was more street food at Turo-Turo Cafeteria, Pugon Bakery and Cabalen Snacks. Other expats come here, too, for the plethora of mobile phone accessory shops and fashion stores. That’s not counting the 27 kiosks inside the building selling everything from skin whitening soaps to gold jewellery.
“Karama and Al Attar in particular. This used to be the hub for shopping and dining,” recalls Carlo Sobingsobing, manager of Cucina restaurant, which his mother opened in 2006.
Sobingsobing compared the shopping centre to Divisoria in the Philippines “because of the stalls, the feel and the vibe”.
“You get a lot of small shutter stores, with different varieties of products on offer, even food shops like ours. And the price is not heavy in the pocket,” he ■
I need a new uniform. There’s a lot of Kabayan, the prices of the items here are very cheap and there are a lot of Filipino products.”
Charmaine Adante | Receptionist
■ said, adding that the price value is what attracts expats the most.
Ghie Oseya, an entrepreneur, said that although her family lives in Al Ghusais, she travels to Karama to shop in Al Attar. “Because everything is cheaper here and all the Filipino products that I need are here,” she told Gulf News.
Charmaine Adante echoed the same sentiment. We caught the Filipina receptionist buying a pair of pants. “I need a new uniform,” she said. She makes a trip to the shopping centre at least five times per month.
“There’s a lot of Kabayan. The prices of the items here are very cheap and there are a lot of Filipino products,” Adante said.