Bargain hunters peruse homeware items at the flea market in Dubai's Safa park.
Bargain hunters peruse homeware items at the flea market in Dubai's Safa park.

Everything for sale in a buyers' market



DUBAI // The saying goes that one man's trash is another man's treasure but what changes hands at Dubai Flea Market is far from rubbish.

The open-air market at Safa Park has become a popular destination for sellers and bargain hunters alike with the constant turnaround of people who arrive and leave the city.

The venue is the place to offload unwanted items or pick up something at a reduced price.

It was 8am on a Saturday and 10,000 bargain hunters were pitching tents, pulling out barbecues and preparing to make a day of browsing for anything and everything.

The day began even earlier for the 220 vendors as they descended on the park at 7am to pay Dh230 each to put up a table to display their wares.

"We know a lot of expats who have left or are about to leave," says Freddy Becker, a Venezuelan standing in front of a display of electronics and video games. "We sell their things for them and either send them the money or donate it and unwanted items to charity. It's a great place to make friends and find a few bargains.

"I have Sony PlayStation games that someone probably paid in excess of Dh150 to buy new but I have them on sale for Dh30."

The vendors' offerings find a receptive audience. Tonya Tozzi, who recently arrived in Dubai with her two children, is looking for decorative items for her new home.

"I just moved here from New York," she says. "I didn't find anything that was suitable but my boys picked up a toy sword and a plastic truck. I bought a pair of shoes and a sweater because I got cold."

She is pleased with her haul, which comes to only Dh17 in total.

Aleena Khan, 17, uses her second visit to the market to sell goods on her parents' behalf. "Anything here for Dh2, just Dh2," she calls to passers-by.

"I am off to college and my family is moving from a six-bedroom house to a three-bedroom apartment," she says. "We had too much stuff."

Her table includes DVDs, clothes, books and even a suitcase.

Maggie Thorne, a Welsh woman dressed in a smart suit, looks as if she belongs in a courtroom rather than a flea market. She says she would rather see her goods go to charity than sell them too cheaply to other vendors, who might then resell them for a profit.

"Some people will come and buy from others then sell them at their own tables for more," she says. "If I don't get the price I feel my items are worth, I won't sell them. I would rather give them away to a church."

The flea market was the idea of Melanie Beese, who arrived from Germany almost six years ago.

"In Germany, flea markets are very popular, but here there were none," she says. "After getting tired of going to the same shops all the time, I decided to start the Dubai Flea Market. I held the first one in April 2008. It has been a success ever since.

"The secret to finding the best deals is to come early, as soon as the market opens at 8am, because by 11am all the best items are gone."

Schedules and locations for the flea market can be found at www.dubai-fleamarket.com. On Saturday, a flea market takes place for the first time at The Galleries, Downtown Jebel Ali.

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1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality  within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

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Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.

Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.

Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.

Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.

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