The quaint charm of Masafi Friday Market

Friday Market, near the small town of Masafi, on the Dubai-Fujairah highway is a big attraction for people from all walks of life. The well known street market, where goods are comparitevily sold at a cheaper price is a favourite place of shopping for locals, expatriates and tourists, especially those who have bargaining skills. Unlike the fully air-conditioned departmental stores with dashing lights, decorations and special offers to magnetise the customers, the Friday Market, surrounded by mountains, have no such charms. The market is free of credit cards, branded products and computerised billing.

The asbestos roofed stalls at the Friday Market offer a wide range of products like fruits, vegetables, plants, toys, musical instruments, furniture and carpets. It is also famous for handcrafted rugs and antiques. Locally made pots and cups to bedding plants and trees are also available in several nurseries in the market. You will also find traditional pottery items made of local clay and the modern toys, which links the past with the present.

The shops are open all days, but business is good on weekends and public holidays. Even if you are travelling by the road at midnight there are sellers waiting for customers in the market. If you have no intention of making a purchase and show less interest, they will offer the wares for a lesser price.

Mohammed Hussain from Bengladesh, a salesman with a fruits and vegetable shop for the last six years said: "Most of the fruits and vegetables are fresh and locally grown. This is one of the advantages of buying fruits and vegetables from here. The market is open on all days, but business is good on weekends, especially on Friday." He added that the market is known as Masafi Friday Market for its popularity on Fridays.

All the people visiting the market are not necessarily buyers, but most of them break their journey here, get out of the vehicles and take a stroll around. They enjoy looking at the items in the market and chatting with the friendly shopkeepers. Most of the tour operators and people from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman buy something from the market or at least stop here and experience the joy of bargaining.

Sherly Joseph, a housewife from Dubai said: "While going to Khorfakkan, we stopped here and the children liked the atmosphere here very much. They loved to taste the mangoes, corns and to buy toys displayed in the shops. We have recently shifted to a new flat and want to buy plants, pottery and handmade carpets on our return journey. I think the price of carpets is less than in the shopping malls."

Most of the vegetable and fruit shops here are owned by Bangladeshis. Carpet shops are the monopoly of Pakistanis and Afghans. Indians normally run cafeteria, grocery and toyshops. The sociable vendors in the fruit shops offer a piece of fruit to taste before you buy.

There is no fixed price in the market and one should use one's bargain skills especially in the carpets and antiques shops. When you ask the price of a carpet, initially they quote a high price. If you disagree and step out from the shop, the salesman will follow you asking, "How much you will give?" And finally, you can buy the product for half the asking price.

Though there are no special staffs for outdoor delivery, they help by delivering the purchase to your vehicle.