Attractions in Dubai

DSF 2010 to kick-start in Dubai today

The 15th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the 32 day shopping, entertainment and cultural extravaganza will kick-start in a colourful manner this evening.

Organizers of the event are expecting large visitor turnout this year from Gulf and Asian countries. Last year, the visitor numbers increased by 4.6percent to 3.35million, and the average money spent was about Dh.9.8billion, said Laila Suhail, Chief Executive of event organizer, Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE).

The government funding for the 15th edition of DSF and sponsorship from the private sector, will combine a total of Dh.65mn this year. The Lexus Mega Raffle draws during the 32-day event will see 32 Lexus LS 460 cars, four Lexus LX 570 sport utility vehicles, cash of more than Dh.3mn given away to winners, 32 Nissan sport utility vehicles and 12 Nissan sedans to be won in the Nissan Grand Raffle.

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The DSF 2010 will commence on 28th January 2010 and will continue until 28th February 2010, while the Dubai Summer Surprises 2010 will be held from 17th June 2010 to 7th August 2010.

This is the 15th edition of DSF, and aims to promote the event as one of the leading shopping and family entertainment events in the world, under the auspices of DTCM (Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing).

Established in 1996, the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) Office aims to steer the helm of another brainchild of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MAktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. It aims to place Dubai on the world map as an unmatched business haven, and targets 15million tourists by the end of 2010.

The DSF is another example of a successful, sustainable public-private partnership. The DSF office has envisioned a new strategy which could be inline with expectations of HH Sheikh Mohammed. The main architects of this ambitious stratey are the DSS and the development of global brand, Modhesh, the ever-jolly Mascot.

The Dubai Shopping Festival was launched in 1996 and has helped in bringing people together through events and extravaganzas and have allowed for better understanding of the world by its unique theme of bringing the world to a single stage. The month-long event has the famous slogan “One Family, One World, One Festival” and attracts millions of visitors’ year on year.

Series of festivities for DSF 2010

DSF began as a shopping extravaganza, and has expanded into a wider event, to include fashion shows, entertainments and other attractions, drawing more than 3 million visitors every year. The main attraction of the event is shopping, with the visitors being offered not only special discounts on a wide range of goods, from jewelry to fashion, electrical goods and carpets, but, also the opportunity to win prizes.

About 150 or more international and regional events are expected to be showcased during the 15th edition, which includes shows, musicals and concerts. Apart from this, DSF 2010 involves participation of more than 6000 retail outlets, 50 malls which will put out spectacular shopping promotions during the 32 days of DSF 2010. 

During the annual event, the malls at the Shopping Festival will remain open to visitors from 9am to mid-night on all days, while the night souk opens daily from 6pm to 2am or 3am.

The 2009 edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival posted excellent visitor numbers and spending figures, despite the global recession. A record number of 3.35million visitors spent about Dh.9.8bn on an average during the 32-day DSF 2009. The results of DSF 2009 were notably consistent, considering the volatile global economic climate prevalent across the world during the time of the festival. This proves the strong popularity of DSF, implying that Dubai will always be an attractive shopping and tourism destination for tourists.

The impressive results could be attributed to the collaboration between the public and private sectors in Dubai, towards ensuring success of the event, a major factor, pivotal in the success story of DSF over the years. This, in addition to the modern infrastructure offered by Dubai, makes it easier to organize events of this magnitude in the cosmopolitan city, he explained.

The drop in consumer spending could be due to steep discounts and promotions offered by hotels and retailers while giving visitors tremendous deal and more value for money, which resulted in slight decline in overall spending figures. It could also be the direct result of inflation witnessed by UAE during first half of 2009, with rates in the range 3.5 percent to 4 percent. However, the increase in visitor numbers is attributed to the successful promotion strategy of DSF in markets that were comparatively unaffected by the economic crisis.

The visitor numbers and expenditure, though important indicators, are not to be considered a key measurement of success for the event. Instead, it is an indicator of development year-on-year, and the new indicators focusing on customer satisfaction and quality will be used to implement future editions.

Apart from being a milestone, DSF 2010 will be more visible to visitors and residents this year, as there are a host of festivities being arranged. Areas such as Dhivafah, Rigga and Al Seef are themed to enhance the festive atmosphere created by DSF.

Dubai Summer Surprises: Following the success of DSF, a major equivalent organized by the DSF Office since 1998, during the summer months is the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS). Bearing the logo “Big Fund for Little Ones”, the DSS brings in summers that are full of fun and learning for children in Dubai, apart from the plethora of wonderful shopping offers and bundle of edutainment activities.

Modhesh: The vast shopping malls and ever-popular Modhesh Fun City are the main venues of DSS thematic activities that offer considerable relief from the hot summer months in the city.