Best Bookstores in UAE

[Adnan]

Kinokuniya, hands down. I recently moved back here from Canada and bought some books there, thinking I wouldn't be able to buy them here (even though I've been to Kinokuniya before, a couple of years ago and know they have a massive, almost unparalleled collection of books). Turns out they were here too and I might as well have waited, hehe. It is now my favourite store in the UAE.
Occasionally I pop by Borders too, they're fairly good too.

[Swati]

I love Borders. I always find some really amazing offers there which I haven't seen anywhere else.
Kinokuniya is next best as I manage to find books which are not available in Borders.

[Lovely]

i know just one uae online shopping - site in uae

[Leila]

I love Kinokuniya is my favorite bookstore in Dubai.

[Yara]

Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall hands down. It's the best and has the widest variety of books you can find in this country. Of course they don't have every book due to some censorship and other reasons but you can always order online.

[Alida]

kinokuniya of course...and book world in satwa and karama.....we can get really cheap rated books there.and everything is there....i luv it

[Shamsa]

Hello everyone , I prefer borders since there's always a Starbucks close by I would buy a book and then sit and read it right away with a nice cup of coffee. But in terms of the most wanted books or current best sellers they seem to be sold out really fast in borders so it would usually go to virjin megastore since people go there mostly for music so you will find some of the best sellers still in their stock. As for ordering books borders is very good at it I would pay and place my order and the books will arrive in two or three weeks all I have to do is wait for a phone call instead of going through the hassle of dealing with aramex or any shipping company.
However since I'm I'm abudhabi for university I usually stop by magrudys at al wahda mall , they are very good with the whole books ordering issue as well . But mostly when I'm in dubai I would to go borders at In battuta mall since it quiet there compared to the one in mall of the emirates or marina mall.

[Gervie]

These are the bookstores that I go to and really liked:
1. Kinokuniya (Dubai Mall)
2. Book Corner L.L.C
3. Thrift Book Shop
4. Magrudy's
5. Virgin

*Kinokuniya
-it's huge and has a variety of books and sometimes I wish I can spend the night there with one of their huge Totoro stuffed toys, some tea or coffee and a sleeping bag.
-Has mangas, comic books and pretty much any other book which you usually cannot find in any other book store in UAE.
-Very organized and you can look for the book you want easily and if it's in stock.
-However, it is far from where I live which is Abu Dhabi and I only go there to buy art books usually.
-They also sell other stuff like really cute stationary, a huge stock of office supplies, anime merch and toys, action figure and OMG Katana swords!!

*Magrudy's
-Best store for me.
-Unlike Kinokuniya, it's not far from where I live (only two roads away from where I live) but they also have a branch in Dubai and other emirates.
-You can order books with your choice of edition. You also have the option to pay half of the book first at the time of order and when the book arrives, you can pay the other half; or you can pay full and wait for the order. They'll just contact you and you can go pick it up. You can do this online or in person. Awesooome.
-They have a loyalty card membership where they give you a loyalty card starting from the basic card. Every time you buy a book/office supply or art supply, you get points based on the amount you have paid. The more you buy, the more points are added and your card upgrades to silver them gold. This membership is a GODSEND! I got a 25 dirham voucher and placed it on hold for a certain amount of time and just kept adding points for a while. The next time I added some point, they informed me that I have finally reach 125 dhs of the voucher and that I get to use it. I bought books and art supplies. All I had to pay were 30 dirhams.

*Thrift book shop
-located somewhere behind sun and sands hamdan street.
-run by a really nice, sweet Indian lady named Victoria.
-the tiny store is packed with lots and lots of books stacked in shelves, in boxes and on top of each other.
-You can find old and new books of different editions given away by different people ranging from YA novels to magazines to children's books or adult novels. I've found an original paperback edition of The Catcher in The Rye. I also found an entire collection of Star Wars.
-Books range from 5 dirhams and above. You can ask for a bargain for the expensive ones.
-You can give your books and get some credit(i think that's what it's called) depending on its condition, its original price and how in demand/popular it is in bookstores. Then let's say your book is worth 40 dirhams, she can sell it for 25 dirhams based on its condition. You can use that 25 dirhams to buy a book or books with the total of 25 dirhams purchase. It's like trading for an equivalent quality of product.

*Book corner in Marina Mall
-Has mangas and comic books which is pretty much the only reason why I go there.

*Virgin
- Not really a bookstore but more like a mix of different things.
-Usually find best sellers there, mostly YA novels. Also, they sell really awesome and funny books there like Ice Cream and Sadness or How to Be an Artist. Mostly books that you never thought of buying but would if you have the money or for fun.

[Mariam]

Jewel wrote: "Actually, some of the books at the Book Depository a more expensive than Amazon, but I find that it's still cheaper compared to Amazon after adding the shippment. And they do have good customer ser..."

Heyy kate, I just want to ask about your experience with book depository. I placed an order over 3 weeks ago and still none of the books arrived :( i have no idea how or where to pick them from. I live in Abu Dhabi, UAE

[Samama]

I always buy my books from the Borders bookstore, or book fairs :D

[Alyazia]

I would think the kinokuniya is really good and also getting from magrudys also you should all check thier online store

[Alida]

Alyazia wrote: "I would think the kinokuniya is really good and also getting from magrudys also you should all check thier online store"

Kinokuniya rocks..that's my haven

[Sumayya]

While Kinokuniya is the best bookstore, still it's really hard to find new releases there. And while you can find anything in Magrudy's site the shipping takes far too longer than the period estimated (don't know if it's just me tho) and the prices are usually ridiculous!

[Alyazia]

I actually agree with you in that I usually buy books from Amazon it's more better but yes magrudys takes a long time than the estimated period got really annoyed from this and cancelled my book and brought from Amazon.

Note just found out about this one any books you want can be reserved over the phone or email and be with for 7 days which I did and took from the costumer office.

But I like mostly Amazon it's better and costumer service is actually more better.

Yes the prices I agree on them it is ridiculous

[Marc]

First up, hi everyone.

Second, not to add to the list of Kinokuniya lovers here, but seriously. It's the Valhalla of bookstores in the UAE. I'm sorry, but being surrounded by so many books is just... well. Let's stay civil.

I find typically, that between Goodreads and Amazon you can find the books you want, and then just stroll down to any of the already mentioned shops. In Abu Dhabi I really don't know much, other than Magrudy's, Borders (more of a stationery shop) and Virgin.

I usually just hope to get a meeting in Dubai or drive there on a weekend for book shopping.

As for the Shop&Ship by aramex, which is a good alternative for those who would like to shop online, it's important to note that they ship by weight, so usually for just 1 or 2 books it's not worth it. Unless you're shopping for other stuff as well.

That being said, I haven't used it for books ever since Kinokuniya... Just saying the word makes me wanna read... and shop for books to read. :)

[Azra]

All you readers should check out House of Prose for second hand books on Dubai. Just Google the location

[the.f6aim]

Hi guys!
While I do love going to Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall when I want to browse for books, I would also recommend Magrudy's online shop! They have most titles available and if you're buying it from one Seller (such as Ingram. it's listed in the book details on their website), then they'll be able to offer you CASH ON DELIVERY!! I honestly use that website A LOT when I want to order books, as Kinokuniya makes me wait quite a while and I don't have a credit card to shop online.