The Souq at Central Market

For quite some time, I have been wanting to have a look at The Souk, at the new Central Market in Abu Dhabi city.

That's Central Market, the highrises way in the background there....

The site has been one of construction for what seems like ages (since we've been living in the UAE anyway).  There used to actually be a Market, or Souq, there years ago until there was a fire which destroyed the whole thing.  So now they've been building three skyscrapers in it's place which are going to house a hotel, a 'High Street' shopping Mall, apartments, office space and a Souq.

The Souq is the only thing completed at the moment and inside it is rather beautiful.  The design is lovely, made from some type of wood, concrete, and gorgeous stained glass windows letting in loads of natural light but still quite cool on the inside.

It's kinda like a modern house you see in films, truth be told.

Not a lot of little shops open at the moment but I imagine in a couple of years time it really will be a hub of sorts.  But the ones that are open are selling an assortment of Arabic goods...

I particually liked the signs to the toilets, as I haven't seen ones like this before;

Worth a little visit if you're in the city, just for a sticky beak if anything else.  And plenty of car parks (always a plus) because it is paid parking and no one (it seems) likes paying for any type of parking in this part of the world.  (If they can park on the pavement or on a roundabout for free, they will!)  Just getting into the car park was a little tight with cars parked on the both sides of a one way lane, making it a little hairy getting to the actual Central Market car park (lucky MrL was driving!)