Dubai Shopping Festival — fun for everyone

Kilos of gold up for grabs, luxury cars to be won, millions of Dirhams in cash prizes, fashion shows and shopping experiences at discounted rates! The Dubai Shopping Festival, the biggest shopping and entertainment extravaganza in the Middle East that started in Dubai on January 2 is rolling with visitors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world.
Shoppers can enjoy discounts at 70 malls and over 6,000 retail outlets across the city during the festival. The DSF has drawn over 47 million visitors since its launch in 1996 and has generated over AED 114 billion for Dubai’s economy.
DSF 2014 will give away over $27 million worth of prizes including luxury cars, gold and cash.
Tourists from GCC countries, mainly from Saudi Arabia, are flocking to Dubai. “It is the perfect start to the year. As always, we are witnessing a tremendous response from GCC travelers for the DSF with the largest turnout from Saudi Arabia followed by Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain,” Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO, Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), told Arab News.
“It is definitely one of the busiest periods for all our hotels in the city such as Coral Deira – Dubai, Coral Al Khoory Hotel Apartments – Dubai, Corp. Executive Al Khoory Hotel – Al Wasl and EWA Deira – Dubai which are running absolutely packed houses with Saudis accounting for 40 percent of occupation in some hotels. DSF gets better every year and this year with a fabulous ‘Shop At Your Best’ theme, it is no doubt pulling in bigger crowds,” Voivenel said.
In addition to great sales, discounts and promotions, the event has scheduled a series of fashion events with fashion and lifestyle ranking high on the popularity charts of DSF.
Visitors may enjoy a vertical catwalk at Burj Khalifa on January 20. This will be the first vertical catwalk in the world’s tallest building. The attention-grabbing DSF Vertical Catwalk will take off from lofty heights with the Burj Khalifa, and the Dubai Mall offering the perfect backdrop.
Another important event is the Fashion Squad, which is currently going on at various locations in Dubai. The DSF Fashion Squad – a team of renowned fashion experts and bloggers will pay homage to Dubai’s street style this DSF on various social media channels. The squad will roam the streets and malls, hand-picking the city’s best dressed who will win shopping vouchers from several participating brands.
IT Closet is another unique program which has been going on in different malls in Dubai. The IT Closet is a virtual, high-tech shopping experience where people can transform their look with a swipe of a screen. The revolutionary technology of the IT Closet uses special imaging systems that allow shoppers to see themselves “wearing” different clothes and accessories from several stores without having to actually change out of the clothes they walked into the mall with. The IT Closet will be stationed at The Dubai Mall and Deira City Center, offering shoppers a fun new way to choose their ideal outfits.
On January 13 and 14, the Dubai Mall will have the Cocoon. Shoppers can undergo a beautiful metamorphosis when they step into The Cocoon at The Dubai Mall – a fun, creative space set up in collaboration with Paris Gallery.
Emirates Towers has planned “The AbayaSelect” on January 22. Abaya fashion is a burgeoning sector that is attracting an increasingly large audience by the day and the demand for fashionable yet conservative fashion choices is ever growing. AbayaSelect is a one-day fashion event featuring leading regional Abaya designers presenting their collections in front of a select audience.
In addition, a number of world-renowned musicians and singers will be participating in many programs at different venues including Madinat arena and Dubai World Trade Center.
Mercato Mall, the only Italian themed mall in Dubai, is offering entertainment from Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Mercato has been transformed into a lively hotspot with entertaining events, promotional discounts and prize draws to celebrate the DSF.
“We spend most of our time here during our visit to Dubai, because it is a perfect place for shopping,” says Fatima Abdulla, a visitor who came from Riyadh with her four children.
Mall of Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, is very busy since the opening of DSF. A number of visitors go there to enjoy the world’s first desert ski slope, Ski Dubai.
Qatari national Thuaraya Mohammed, who was among the crowd of shoppers in the Mall of Emirates, told Arab News: “There is a lot of rush, but it is a good chance to enjoy discounts and win prizes.” As part of the DSF, the Mall of Emirates has introduced three shopping zones within the mall — Stylista, Travelista and Decorista. Stylista encompasses mostly luxury fashion, jewellery stores in the Central Galleria, Fashion Dome and Via Rodeo areas.
Ali Al Fares from Riyadh, who is staying at Coral Al Khoory Hotel Apartments, said that he is an absolute shopaholic. “This is the fourth time that I am attending DSF and each time I feel more pleased. I think it is not just the promotions but the atmosphere too that makes it worth being here,” he added.
Another favorite spot is Ibn Battuta Mall which is a fashion destination that offers international and contemporary collections. With a wide range of events, activities and promotions, Ibn Batuta Mall offers a rich shopping experience in an entertaining yet relaxed ambience.
Najla. A, a visitor from Dammam, who came with an open budget with her father, said that she is in Dubai because the city has several malls where shopping is easy.
Neelesh Bhatnagar, Director, Oasis Center, commented: “Our presence at the Dubai Shopping Festival is bigger than ever before. The highlight of this year’s DSF once again is the Money Mania activity which will give consumers a chance to walk away with prizes upto AED 500,000.”
Meanwhile, Al Riqqa Street is one of the several key locations in Dubai that is all decked up to welcome tourists as well as residents who wish to partake in the DSF celebrations.
Here visitors can look forward to several hours of family fun, adventure and entertainment, as the street, which is designated as a DSF destination, transforms into a lively arena from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and stays abuzz for an extra hour on weekends till 12 am.
Abdulrahman Al Rashed from Alkhobar, who is staying at Coral Deira with his family, said: “It is wonderful to be in Dubai this DSF that is an exceptional shopping extravaganza. Coral Deira is ideally located at walking distance to watch the DSF Carnival on Al Riqqa Street as well as in close proximity to all major attractions including the Dubai Gold Souk. My family is absolutely thrilled and we are having a great time.”
“My children always want to come here during the festival, that’s why we are here,” says Habeeba R. from Muscat who is in Dubai with her family.

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