Al Bawaba's guide to outrageous Middle East shopping!

Published December 9th, 2016 - 10:22 GMT

Slumped oil hasn't dampened the Gulf nations' appetite for all things shiny and new and outrageously expensive.

Have you heard of Big Boys Toys (BBT)? Self-billed as the Middle East's premiere luxury, innovation and technology expo, it's held in Dubai each November to promote high-end lifestyle products. There's also Arab Luxury World, an annual Dubai conference "on the business of luxury in the Middle East" , and 2Luxury2.com, an international luxury lifestyle magazine "for an affluent audience".

BBT states that one in every 80 Emiratis is a USD millionaire. From a more regional perspective – all six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rank in the top 20 countries with the highest proportion of millionaires.

Take a peek into what's on offer for those with the terrible problem of having more money than they need.

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US boxer and promoter Floyd Mayweather dropped $3MIL on a Hublot watch during a 2015 shopping spree in Dubai. Beyonce blew past that price point with the Hublot Big Bang watch she bought for hubby Jay Z for his 43rd birthday. The extraordinary timepiece is smothered with 1,282 diamonds and costs $5 MIL!

Pop into Bloomsbury’s on our next trip to Dubai, and do one up on Marie Antoinette. Why just “eat cake”, when you can instead gobble the world’s most expensive cupcake? The Golden Phoenix Cupcake consists of Italian cocoa, Ugandan vanilla beans, and a dollop of 23-karat edible gold. It can be yours for $1,007.

Wash down that cupcake with a bottle of Goût de Diamants. This champagne premiered in 2013, sold for $1.8 MIL in a bottle with a 19-carat diamond stud. Limited edition and specialty champagnes are lucrative collectibles for high-flying investors. This vintage is no longer in production, but if bling is your thing, track down a bottle.

When it comes to pricey pets in the GCC, the most popular animal to own is the rare purebred gyrfalcon, the largest of the falconidae. It’s an Arctic bird popular for hunting among the gentry of medieval Europe, and much coveted by Gulf states falconers, and can cost as much as $250,000.

The Aurora Diamante is the most expensive pen in the world. Made in Italy, with heavy Gulf sales, the pen is said to allow for “smooth writing”, likely thanks to a nib made of 18 carat gold. But the real reason it’s priced at $1,470,600 is its diamond crust of 30 carats.

The golden Hammock Tub combines the feeling of lounging in a hammock while unwinding in a hamam. The suspended ‘vessel’ designed by Splinter Works is made from carbon fiber with a hand-applied 24 karat gold leaf finish. Expect to pay about $100,000.

Here we have the most world’s most expensive abaya, created for an unnamed client with a startling sticker price of $17.6 MIL. Made in Dubai by British designer Debbie Wingham, the dress is adorned with 2,000 black and white diamonds and includes a red diamond, the only one of its kind in the world. The dress also features 14-karat gold.

Retailer Hammacher Schlemmer specializes in outré gifts, like the Aqua Rover that works on upland roads and can also be driven underwater. It fits two people and is capable of omnidirectional movement and stand-still hovering below sea. So sidle up to Red Sea reefs, wrecks, and fish. Your own personal submarine carries a price tag of $15 million

Swiss craftsmen created a four-hosed hookah that’s more a piece of jewelry than a tool to smoke tobacco. The Aurentum pipe is made of 24-carat gold, boasts a Murano glass water pot and decorative scarabs made of platinum and with ruby and diamond detailing. The 12 kilogram shisha pipe costs $1 MIL!

Perfect for the “big shot” in your life, the AK47 chair is made of genuine assault rifles, fully dismantled and welded back as a seat. Chrome-plated and polished, with all L-sections and gun barrel details covered in leather. Special orders include a chrome-plated, leather-lined Russian helmet. Why? Ask when you request pricing.

Swedish brewer St. Eriks is selling the world’s most expensive potato chip, charging $56 for five individual pieces. The recipe truffle seaweed, crown dill, and matsutake—”one of the world's most sought-after species of mushrooms.” Turning everyday food into hyper-expensive haute cuisine is killing the saying “cheap as chips”!

Luxury retailer Nordstrom is selling large stones in leather pouches for $85. They suggest using it as “a paperweight”, “a conversation starter” or “a work of art”. We can’t wait ‘til they release an equally head-scratching luxe leather pouch filled with sand from Saudi’s “Remote Quarter”.

US boxer and promoter Floyd Mayweather dropped $3MIL on a Hublot watch during a 2015 shopping spree in Dubai. Beyonce blew past that price point with the Hublot Big Bang watch she bought for hubby Jay Z for his 43rd birthday. The extraordinary timepiece is smothered with 1,282 diamonds and costs $5 MIL!

Pop into Bloomsbury’s on our next trip to Dubai, and do one up on Marie Antoinette. Why just “eat cake”, when you can instead gobble the world’s most expensive cupcake? The Golden Phoenix Cupcake consists of Italian cocoa, Ugandan vanilla beans, and a dollop of 23-karat edible gold. It can be yours for $1,007.

Wash down that cupcake with a bottle of Goût de Diamants. This champagne premiered in 2013, sold for $1.8 MIL in a bottle with a 19-carat diamond stud. Limited edition and specialty champagnes are lucrative collectibles for high-flying investors. This vintage is no longer in production, but if bling is your thing, track down a bottle.

When it comes to pricey pets in the GCC, the most popular animal to own is the rare purebred gyrfalcon, the largest of the falconidae. It’s an Arctic bird popular for hunting among the gentry of medieval Europe, and much coveted by Gulf states falconers, and can cost as much as $250,000.

The Aurora Diamante is the most expensive pen in the world. Made in Italy, with heavy Gulf sales, the pen is said to allow for “smooth writing”, likely thanks to a nib made of 18 carat gold. But the real reason it’s priced at $1,470,600 is its diamond crust of 30 carats.

The golden Hammock Tub combines the feeling of lounging in a hammock while unwinding in a hamam. The suspended ‘vessel’ designed by Splinter Works is made from carbon fiber with a hand-applied 24 karat gold leaf finish. Expect to pay about $100,000.

Here we have the most world’s most expensive abaya, created for an unnamed client with a startling sticker price of $17.6 MIL. Made in Dubai by British designer Debbie Wingham, the dress is adorned with 2,000 black and white diamonds and includes a red diamond, the only one of its kind in the world. The dress also features 14-karat gold.

Retailer Hammacher Schlemmer specializes in outré gifts, like the Aqua Rover that works on upland roads and can also be driven underwater. It fits two people and is capable of omnidirectional movement and stand-still hovering below sea. So sidle up to Red Sea reefs, wrecks, and fish. Your own personal submarine carries a price tag of $15 million

Swiss craftsmen created a four-hosed hookah that’s more a piece of jewelry than a tool to smoke tobacco. The Aurentum pipe is made of 24-carat gold, boasts a Murano glass water pot and decorative scarabs made of platinum and with ruby and diamond detailing. The 12 kilogram shisha pipe costs $1 MIL!

Perfect for the “big shot” in your life, the AK47 chair is made of genuine assault rifles, fully dismantled and welded back as a seat. Chrome-plated and polished, with all L-sections and gun barrel details covered in leather. Special orders include a chrome-plated, leather-lined Russian helmet. Why? Ask when you request pricing.

Swedish brewer St. Eriks is selling the world’s most expensive potato chip, charging $56 for five individual pieces. The recipe truffle seaweed, crown dill, and matsutake—”one of the world's most sought-after species of mushrooms.” Turning everyday food into hyper-expensive haute cuisine is killing the saying “cheap as chips”!

Luxury retailer Nordstrom is selling large stones in leather pouches for $85. They suggest using it as “a paperweight”, “a conversation starter” or “a work of art”. We can’t wait ‘til they release an equally head-scratching luxe leather pouch filled with sand from Saudi’s “Remote Quarter”.

Al Bawaba's guide to outrageous Middle East shopping!

When it comes to pricey pets in the GCC, the most popular animal to own is the rare purebred gyrfalcon, the largest of the falconidae. It’s an Arctic bird popular for hunting among the gentry of medieval Europe, and much coveted by Gulf states falconers, and can cost as much as $250,000.

The Aurora Diamante is the most expensive pen in the world. Made in Italy, with heavy Gulf sales, the pen is said to allow for “smooth writing”, likely thanks to a nib made of 18 carat gold. But the real reason it’s priced at $1,470,600 is its diamond crust of 30 carats.

The golden Hammock Tub combines the feeling of lounging in a hammock while unwinding in a hamam. The suspended ‘vessel’ designed by Splinter Works is made from carbon fiber with a hand-applied 24 karat gold leaf finish. Expect to pay about $100,000.

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