This section will grow as we receive your questions and comments... We wish to address here the most asked questions about our products, proper care, production techniques, etc.
If you have any unanswered here questions, please email us...

Are Arabian goods Oriental? Or not?
When one says "Orient", usually thinks Thailand, Indonesia, and other Asian countries, perhaps parts of India, etc. The real understanding of it should be much wider, as the "Orient" covers much more, and includes some Arab countries. Still not convinced? Well, just to remind you the famous Orient Express - its destination was Turkey and Syria!

Are the owners Arabs themselves?
No. They are originally from Europe. Traveling trough Middle East, they fell in love with the hospitality, culture and art, and decided to open a business promoting relatively little known, but splendid goods from Arab countries.

Do you travel to get the items?
Yes! We travel to find new sources and products. All our goods are purchased DIRECTLY from families, shops/studios making them. We trade their merchandise fairly, without middlemen, which gives you the assurance that your purchases "will make a difference", and will help the survival of the"endangered species" of real craftsmen, cultivating traditional methods of work.

I bought one of these things for much less in a souq, when traveling Middle East. How come your things are more expensive?
Firstly, when you add the price of your air ticket, hotels, meals, etc. to the price of your brass pot (or other item) - it will became quite expensive. Secondly, we take great care to select top quality items, trying to stay away from "tourist quality" items easily available on markets (souqs). Prices of items we buy are sometimes higher, but the quality fully justifies it. Thirdly, shipping air cargo and containers is expensive. Lots of extra fees are to be paid on top of customs duties, etc. before we can receive our goods. Also operation of business involves extra costs. And, please keep in mind that our prices are in LOW Canadian Dollars .

How will you ship my order?
Depending on the size and weight, we will ship it via air mail parcel, or UPS Ground. Generally speaking, items lighter than 5 - 6 pounds, and not really large (like small lamps, brass decor, mosaic boxes, etc.) will go via air mail. One of largest items we ship via air mail is our water pipe, for example. Everything heavier and bigger will go via ground courier services. Additionally - you can request different shipping service at the time of order, and we will try to fulfill your request (additional charge may be required).

How quickly will I get my order?
It depends on your location and the method of shipping. Air Mail takes approximately between 1 to 2 weeks. ExpressPost - 2 to 5 days. UPS Ground from us to most remote part of Florida - about 10 business days. If time is of your concern, please contact us to discuss your special needs. We can ship via FedEx Express, or other fast courier as per your wish (additional fee may be required).
Large shipments to overseas destinations can be also shipped via surface mail to save money, or in some cases - directly from the Middle East to you.

I am from America. How to calculate your prices in US Dollars?
When ordering from us, you can think of it as of shopping when you are on your international trip. We charge in Canadian $, and it is converted to your currency by your credit card company. This exchange will be shown on your credit card statement. Exchange rates change slightly all the time, and each company uses a bit different rate too, therefore giving accurate exchange is an impossible task for us.
We offer on our web site currency exchange calculator, which should give you quite close idea, but if you need to know the exact amount up to a penny, you would need to contact your credit card company at the time of purchase, and request such information from them.
To give you some rough idea, we can say that during last years, 1 Canadian Dollar makes approximately only 64 to 80 US Cents, so the cost of our product will be about 25% to 40% cheaper than if the same price would be listed in US Dollars.

I am from America. I want to order couple of things. Will I have to pay duty?
In most cases shipping will no duties added, but it depends on value of shipment.
If value is over some certain limit (a few hundred dollars), some small border fees may be applied by your government.
We heard back from our customers who ordered thousands of dollars worth shipments - and they said they had to pay just $30, $50 or so. But if this will be the case with your large order, it is very easy.
UPS prepares all documents on your behalf, and you only need to pay such fee at delivery time, or by phone, whatever is convenient to you.

Is Syria really a "terrorist country"? Is it safe to travel?
During our travels we found Syrian people really peaceful, unusaually safe and extremely hospitable. While their government's political views may be different from Western views, people there treasure peace and a religious tolerance. We saw many muslims living, and operating businesses next to jews, orthodox christians, etc. and treating each other like real brothers. A real-life tolerance, something one can really admire... Perhaps during these difficult days more tensions can be observed, but majority of people would still treat tourists as most welcomed guests.

Can't find answer to your question? E-mail us! questions@arabiannights.ca