Souq Al Jubail in Sharjah opened in November 2015 but I got the chance to visit last weekend.
It was constructed on a reclaimed land just behind the area where the old fishmarket used to be located. The old fishmarket was demolished to give way to the entrance to the new fish market.
There was a huge free parking area in front of the building. If you are familiar how the Arabic designs looks like, you could imagine that Souq Al Jubail is a government building and not a Fish and Vegetable market.
So the government of Sharjah move the Fish, Meat and Vegetable market to this new location under one roof.
The entrance is located at the center with a Souq Al Jubail written to the left and the Arabic translation to the right.
To the right of the entrance was the Meat section and Fish section. I went first to the Fish section and I was surprised by the cleanliness of the area. The Fish section was divided into four rows but currently only two rows were occupied. The floor was dry and the fishy smell is very minimal. There were a wide varieties of fish and shrimps for sale.
Each stall was properly numbered manned by one or two vendors at a time.
The vendors were very friendly. I bought from one of the stalls and I was given a barcode after they weigh my fish. I went to a separate counter to pay the fish. The cashier gave me a receipt and return to collect the fish. That was easy and very organized!
If you wish to have your fish cleaned, you will find the cleaning section at the end of the hall. There were two counters. First they will weigh your fish and they will give you a queue number.
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| world class fish cleaning facilities |
You can check monitor your fish cleaning status from 2 LCD screens. Ample chairs were placed in the waiting area.
Next we went to the meat section. I was not buying at that time but I went inside just to see. The vendors knew that I was a "kabayan". So they were calling me "kabayan". "You want bulalo?", one vendor asked me. "You want tuwalya?", the other one said.
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| Reception Area |
In the middle of the building you will find the reception area and information counter behind it. There were two escalators leading to the second floor of the building.
Opposite the Fish and Meat section you will find the vegetables and fruit section. It was bigger than the fish and meat section combines as it occupied the whole left wing of the building.
There were several empty rows but the middle rows were occupied to the end. The display counters were aluminum and they have chillers for fresh vegetables and fruits.
I paid reasonable price for my fresh supplies and groceries considering that the vendors moved to the brand new and air conditioned building. They must be paying quiet a higher rent compared to the previous location just opposite the road.
You can borrow also a shopping cart from one of the sections near the reception counter.
I noticed though that chicken supplies are not yet available in the market.
On the way out, I bumped into a group of tourists from India. I imagine Souq Al Jubail will not just be an ordinary market but will become a must tourist destination for people visiting Sharjah.
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Opening time: 7:30 am - 10:30 pm daily
Getting there:
from Dubai: all buses from Dubai going to Sharjah stops at Jubail Bus Station.
Souq Al Jubail is just opposite the Jubail Bus Station
Within Sharjah: take Sharjah taxi or take a bus going to Jubail Bus Station.
Nearby Attractions:
Central Gold Souq
Animal Market
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