Written by: Betsy Fisher
If you're looking for great deals on fashion in a lively shopping area, Jebel Hussein is the place to be. Less congestion and hassle than downtown but with similarly cheap prices, and also without the Western corporate flavor of Mecca Mall and City Mall. The heart of Jebel Hussein is just a ten-minute walk from Diwar Dakhlia. The wide, pedestrian friendly sidewalks feature street food peddlers, cheap but tasty restaurants, and sidewalk stalls with children's toys, football jerseys, etc.
Plazas of shoe, clothing, jewelry, and accessory stores line Jebel Hussein, but the heart of it all is Maxim Mall. Dozens of small fashion shops line the basement, ground and first floors, featuring deals galore on men's, women's and children clothing, including both Islamic and Western styles. On the top floor you'll find the food court, with standard fare such as KFC and ChiliWays, as well as local juice, coffee, sweet and shwarma shops (for a strange fried experience, try the Tornado Potato for 1 JD). Zaid Cafe has a relaxed seating area with internet. Also on the top floor is kids' entertainment in the form of an arcade and amusement rides whose level of maintenance does not inspire confidence.
For tourists, if the cheap clothing isn't a big enough attraction, there is a large souvenir stall on the bottom floor behind the escalator. And, of course, there is endless entertainment to be drawn from admiring the, let's say, eclectic mannequin styles.
