At Dubai Mall, bling is in the air

A Dh32,000 air purifier encrusted with 20,000 Swarovski crystals is on display at Galeries Lafayette.

An air purifier studded with Swarovski crystals is on sale for Dh32,000 at Galeries Lafayette in Dubai Mall.

DUBAI // Your air will be scrubbed clean of pollution. But your wallet might, in the process, be scrubbed clean of cash.

A crystal-encrusted air purifier has gone on sale in the glittering setting of one of Dubai's most prestigious department stores.

The Dh32,000 Al Muntaha ("ultimate") purifier, hand-studded with 20,000 Swarovski crystals, is on display on the second floor of Galeries Lafayette, in Dubai Mall.

The device, aimed at the discerning customer with deep pockets, forms the pinnacle of the S-Exclusiv range of Airfree purifiers. The range also includes a Dh4,999 model with scattered crystals and one for Dh4,500 that features an outline of crystals.

"I think this is the kind of bling product that appeals to people in Dubai and this is the perfect location to have a product like this," said Mihir Patel, the chief executive of Amancorp, the regional distributor of Airfree, the Portuguese manufacturer. "Premium products sell in Dubai and we have had interest from people considering buying our limited edition purifiers. We've had interest from Sheikhs and wealthy people in other countries who want something that is unique and different."

The studding on the Al Muntaha model, he said, takes three professionals more than 10 days to complete.

S-Exclusiv units come in velvet, silk-lined drawstring bags and are based on the new S5000 Al Aswad, Airfree's top-of-the-range consumer unit.

Amancorp is now working on a limited edition of gold-plated purifiers with a black, yellow and even purple tint. Although it could not give an estimated pricing for the range they are expected it to be more expensive even than the crystal limited editions.

For Samantha Owen, a Briton who spotted the Al Muntaha purifier on display a few days ago, it was a little too much.

"I was looking for an air purifier because I tend to suffer pretty badly with the AC during the summer," she said.

"It's very sparkly and at first I thought it was some kind of jewellery box. It's a bit too much bling, even for Dubai, and for something that costs the equivalent of a year's rent in Discovery Gardens I think I'll pass."