Finding bookstores in Dubai can be considered as a scavenger hunt, but with our research and insight, you will definitely close this tab well-informed of the many hidden gems that Dubai withholds. If you are a book lover and often find yourself not knowing where to get your next read, well, we’ve got you COVERED! With the recommendations listed below consisting of internet book sellers to old book stores that have been established almost 50 years ago in Dubai, you will surely have your weekend booked.
Online & Social Media books in Dubai
No petrol in your car? No worries! These accounts provide the best book deals online and home delivery services and all that’s required from you is to pick a book to your liking. Romance? Horror books? Arabic novels? You guessed it! With these specially selected recommendations, our well-researched insight will surely get your reading glasses on and buy books online.
1. Book Secrets Bookshop (@booksecrets.ae)
Ever felt indecisive about which book to read next? Well, Book Secrets have a solution for you and that is going on a blind date for your next read! A small online local business operating on Instagram, that caters to both Arabic and English book lovers; providing a variety of genres from A-Z. All you have to do is pick a genre of your liking, sit back, relax, and wait for your book to arrive within 24 hours. Additional services include gift wrapping and bookmarks.
DM at @booksecrets.ae on Instagram
2. Citizen Book (@citizen_book)
A bookstore solely based on selling blind date books where the customer fills out a form consisting of 17 questions asking about how often the customer reads books, your preferred genres, and so on. They also offer pins from well-known fictional novels. They provide monthly subscriptions called Bookish Mystery Box that provides the reader with many genres and helps them discover new interesting reads and introduce them to genres they might not have thought of reading from before. Along with the subscription, they include bookish merchandise that the customer will enjoy using.
DM at @citizen_book on Instagram
3. Bookends (@bookendsae)
Looking to buy and sell used books online that are rare and have been pre-owned? Unlike the first two Instagram accounts, Bookends is a marketplace for buying and selling ‘pre-loved’ books that can be delivered to Dubai and across the UAE. In the ‘View Shop’ feature on their Instagram homepage, it will provide you a list of all their products which you can browse through with the prices in English and Arabic, and can be filtered to show books within specific price ranges or books on sale. Another exciting feature they offer is podcasts free of charge.
DM at @bookendsae on Instagram
4. Bookshow (@bookshow.uae)
Attention Arabic book lovers! This online bookstore is the place for you. They provide a variety of genres and hundreds of books, in their story highlights they provide the latest information about the best-selling books, new books, and offers. Their posts include the number of pages, description of the genre, and reviews about the book.
DM at @bookshow.uae on Instagram
Where to buy Second Hand Books in Dubai
1. House of Prose
For more than 20 years, House of Prose remains to be the oldest bookshop to sell second hand books in Dubai from a wide variety of genres. The bookshop includes many unique features that compel the customer to purchase from the shop; such as offering a 50% refund on any purchased book, reasonable prices, and renting services. They also take book donations. You can find them at Box Park and Times Square Center. Get your sneakers on and go buy old books!
Location: 1) Box Park – Al Wasl Road. 2) Times Square Center – Sheikh Zayed Road
Phone number: 04-3449021
Facebook: @houseofprose
Opening hours:
- Box Park (Sun-Wed 10:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M / Thu-Sat 10:00 A.M – 12:00 P.M)
- Times Square Center (Sat-Fri 10:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M)
2. Book World Trading
Looking for an old bookstore to buy used books in Dubai? From multilingual books to comics and magazines, Book World Trading has been operating for 18 years in Dubai, selling used as well as new books with affordable prices such as second-hand books, old comic books and magazines with renting services; catering to a wide range of customers, providing many offers, and a book return policy. They have friendly and helpful staff who reply to any customer inquiries online.
Location: Al Bada – Dubai
Phone number: 04-3491914 or 04-3967924
Facebook: @DubaiBooks
Email: bookworldlibrary@gmail.com
Opening Hours: Sun-Thu 11:00 A.M – 9:30 P.M / Fri 2:00 P.M – 9:30 P.M
The best stores selling Graphic Books & Novels in Dubai
1. Comic Stop
Comic Stop is one of the local comic book stores in Dubai specializing in comic books, acquiring almost every single genre as well as selling pop figurines. They have fast delivery and very good customer service based on customers’ reviews. Another impressive feature of the store is that they take in customer suggestions and order comic book requests such as limited edition novels. The store entrance includes a ramp for wheelchair accessibility.
Location: Dar Al Wasl – Al Wasl Road
Opening hours: Sun-Sat 10 A.M – 10 P.M
Phone number: 04-3854377
Facebook: @comicstopme
2. Speedy Comics ME
Are you looking to buy comic books and comic book merchandise at the same time? Speedy Comics ME is one of the biggest graphic novel and pop culture merchandise companies to exist in the G.C.C. The store has a large inventory of vintage graphic novels and pop culture figurines, marvel apparel and many other accessories. They have a store with a quiet atmosphere and a cafe that includes a seating area where you can drink your cup of tea while reading your book. During certain times of the year, they host their own conventions with creators, actors, writers and arrange meet and greets where they attendants can get autographs, pictures and comic book signings.
Newbie tip! If you’re looking to visit the store hassle-free, we advise you to opt for underground parking as it is free and closer to the store. You’re welcome!
Location: City Walk – Al Safa street
Phone number: 056-4822288
Opening hours: Sat-Wed 10 A.M – 10 P.M / Fri 1 P.M – 11:00 P.M
Instagram and Facebook: @speedycomicsme
3. Geek Nation
Geek Nation is a comic book store that provides a wide range of products that cater to comic book and movie lovers and video game geeks. Like Speedy Comics, they offer pop culture apparel and miscellaneous merchandise such as mugs, keychains, figurines. If you’re interested in Anime, DC and Marvel comics, Game of Thrones, and many other ‘geek’-related shows and literature, a visit to Geek Nation is a must. According to reviews, they offer good quality products with fair prices as well as many enticing discounts and promotions. Avoiding the geek fiesta? Good visiting hours during the weekends occur between 12 P.M-1 P.M
Location: City Walk – Al Safa street
Phone number: 056-5337956 & 971-4-3361706
Opening hours: Sun-Wed 10 A.M – 11 P.M / Thu-Sat 10 A.M – 12:00 A.M
Instagram and Facebook: @geeknationme
4. Virgin Megastore
Besides the entertainment products, music, and other lifestyle goods, Virgin Megastore sells a variety of books and also includes a section on graphic novels ranging from vintage to new issues of comics and other animated novels such as Marvel Comics, Archie, Assassins Creed, The Umbrella Academy and more. It has many different branches located across Dubai, and this helps if you are looking for the nearest comic book shop to you as you may find a Virgin Megastore branch in the closest mall to you, such as Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates or Dubai Festival City and so on.
Location and Opening hours:
Mirdif City Center (Sun-Wed 10 A.M – 10 P.M / Thu-Sat 10 A.M – 12 A.M)
Deira City Center (Tue-Sun 10 A.M – 10 P.M / Mon 10 A.M – 10 P.M)
The Dubai Mall (Sun-Sat 10 A.M – 12 A.M)
Mercato Mall (Sun-Wed 10 A.M – 10 P.M / Thu 10 A.M – 12 A.M)
Mall of the Emirates (Sun-Sat 10 A.M – 12 A.M)
Dubai Marina Mall (Sat-Wed 10 A.M – 10 P.M / Thu-Fri 10 A.M – 12 A.M)
The Ranches Souk (Sun-Sat 10 A.M – 12 A.M)
Best places to buy Educational books in Dubai
1. Magrudy’s & Kinokuniya
If you’re looking for the best place to buy children’s books such as educational books or even textbooks that range from elementary to high school level to university and scholarly books, you will undoubtedly find all your required resources for any new academic year in Magrudy’s and Kinokuniya as these two book stores in Dubai stores provide many academic books that cater to a variety of exam boards and much more. Not planning on leaving your house for the weekend but have to stock up on university resources? Well, let us tell you about the amazing invention of e-commerce. Fortunately, both stores have websites where you can purchase books and stationery products and many other school equipment. Planning on becoming a recurring customer? The Kinokuniya privilege card is the way to go to get 10% off of your every purchase!
In terms of school supplies, both Magrudy’s and Kinokuniya sell books and stationery and are known to have large stationery sections offering pens, pencils, maths equipment, art supplies, notebooks, and more. Magrudy’s make it easier for people with determination to enter the store by having a ramp for wheelchair accessibility located towards the entrance.
Magrudy’s– Location and Opening hours:
Jumeirah 1. Sun-Sat 9:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M. Contact details: 04-3444193.
Mirdif City Center – Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed street. Sun-Sat 10:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M.
Contact details: 04-3444193
Instagram and Facebook: @magrudys
Kinokuniya– Location: The Dubai Mall
Opening hours: Sun-Wed 10:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M/Thu-Sat 10:00 A.M – 12:00 A.M
Contact details: 04-4340111
Instagram and Facebook: @BooksKinokuniyaUAE
2. Bookworm
Bookworm has a good selection of books and specifically caters to children in terms of educational books and fun story-time books. The co-founder shares her favorite new books in the monthly Bookworm newsletter and they also host reading competitions such as the Bookworm competitions. They also open weekly live streams on their Instagram account and give their recommended reads. Furthermore, you can get a 75 AED discount after receiving 9 stamps on your Bookworm loyalty card. Get yours today!
Location and Opening hours:
Al Ferdous Complex – Al Wasl Road. Sun-Sat: 10:00 A.M – 8:00 P.M.
Contact details: 04-3945770.
Meadows Town Center – Al Asayel street. Sun-Sat: 8:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M.
Contact details: 04-3689822.
Instagram and Facebook: @bookwormdubai
3. Booktopia
Booktopia is an independent family-owned bookstore. It is a very quiet and well-organized store with many interesting books for kids and some appealing books for the parents. Due to the attractive prices of children’s books that go as low as 20 AED, you are bound to come back for some more offers and deals! There is a special cozy place for people to read books and within that space is a reading corner for children read-alouds.
Location: Dubai Festival City
Opening hours: Sun-Wed 10:00 A.M – 10:00 P.M / Thu-Sat 10:00 A.M – 12:00 A.M
Contact details: 056-7808181
Instagram: @mybooktopiauae