Mango season in Dubai: 'King of fruits' enters markets from Dh10 per kg

Many Dubai residents visit the Waterfront Market throughout the year, at least once or twice a month. But during summer, the number of visits jumps to three or four, and the reason is very simple: because of mangoes.

“For us, . We come every week just to check what new varieties have arrived,” said Farah Khan, a Dubai resident who came along with her husband to buy the .

Khan usually makes a trip to the Deira market every fortnight on Friday or Saturday evening with her family. However, she couldn’t resist going to the market on Tuesday morning after she heard that “My kids told me that their classmates brought mangoes for lunch. When they told me on Monday night, I wanted to go to the market and pick some. My children love the fruit, its milkshake, and my husband prefers them sliced with salt and chilli powder. It is like a whole mango madness at home now,” said Khan, who is a business owner in Deira.

Similarly, Mohammed Aashiq, a 32-year-old sales executive who lives in Al Nahda, never misses a chance to . “The only fruit I love is mangoes. We have farms of it in my hometown, and during my growing years, I used to have mangoes all day,” said Aashiq.

“I get my weekly off on Tuesdays, and when I saw some ads on social media about mangoes entering the markets, I knew I had to come,” he said. “I have been coming here for the last four years since I came to the UAE. The fruits here are fresh, and the prices are reasonable compared to supermarkets. Plus, you can actually smell and feel the mangoes before you buy, which makes all the difference.”

The fruit section at the Waterfront Market has become a mango wonderland. From crowd-favourite Alphonsos to tangy Totapuri, more than 20 different mango varieties from India, Pakistan, Yemen, Thailand, Peru, and even Colombia are now available.

Yemeni mangoes

“The market sees a huge jump in footfall during mango season,” said vendor Wazed Ali, who has been selling fruits at the Waterfront Market for a few years now. “There are families who come here only during mango season, and they buy boxes, not just kilos.”

Here’s a breakdown of some of the mango varieties and their prices as of now:

• Yemeni Mango (most affordable): Dh10 per kg

• Alphonso: Dh45 per box (12 big mangoes), Dh35-40 per box (15 medium-sized mangoes)

• Peruvian Mango (among the largest): Dh35 per kg, or Dh90-110 per box (4-5kgs)

• Colombian Mini Mango (rare & exotic, only at Waterfront Market in Dubai): Dh90-100 per box

• Cambodian and Chinese Mangoes: Dh18 per kg

For those with a sweet tooth, varieties like Carabao, Ataulfo (Honey Mango), and Kesar (Gir Kesar) have the goodness of syrup with every bite. For tangy-lovers, Keitt, Totapuri, and Nam Dok Mai are available in the market. And for juice lovers, there are Dasheri and Valencia Pride, without fibre, which is ideal for blending.

“Mango is not just a fruit; it’s nostalgia, a celebration for most of our customers. They share their childhood stories with the fruit,” said Muhammed Najeeb, another vendor at the market. “Customers tell us that they would eat mangoes on the terrace with family back home and how the family comes together just to eat these fruits. For them, the market gives a little piece of that memory in Dubai.”

Other varieties like Langra, Banganapalli, Taimour, Awees, and Neelam are also available at the market. 

“Residents can expect more varieties of mangoes in coming days,” said Najeeb.

Vendors at the Waterfront Market also said that although some mangoes, especially the rare and imported ones, are a bit pricey right now, shoppers won’t have to wait long for better deals. “The prices of the fruit is expected to come down gradually over the next few weeks as more varieties and larger quantities start arriving,” said Najeeb.