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العربية
December 1996, was the launch date for one of the most important festivals of the Arab region and the Middle East, Dubai Shopping Festival. The event continued without interruption for the following years until the event became a stable of the country's calendar and one of the most important tourism elements in the city, contributing to making Dubai a global hub for shopping and a tourist destination.
The steady increase in visitors to the festival annually is more evidence of the idea's success. During the following years, the festival's revenues skyrocketed from 2.15 billion dirhams in 1996 to 9.8 billion dirhams in 2009, and the number of visitors to the festival activities increased from 1.6 million to more than 3.35 million in the same period. This rapid pace formed a catalyst for further economic growth in the city, which expanded its winter activities starting from the festival.
Sales & Discounts
DSF boasts substantial discounts from shopping malls and international brands, where the streets of Dubai are filled with sales advertisements during the festival period. Events are spread all over the city, especially in downtown Dubai, which kicks off the opening ceremony of the festival. Major shopping centres such as Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and Ibn Battuta Mall are a colossal attraction where you can find significant shopping deals and entertainment. Seasonal markets such as Al Seef Market provides a unique shopping experience that mixes modernity and Emirati Arab heritage. Al Khawaneej Market, on the other hand, includes an ice-skating rink in the heart of the desert. Al-Raqqa, which simulates the shopping experience at the beginning of the festival in the mid-nineties, and the Hatta Market, which contains an open-air cinema that displays classic films for all family members.
Things To Do At Dubai Shopping Festival
Distinguishing the festival are the major raffles that offer substantial cash prizes and tens of kilograms of gold, all of this are available to every shopper who spends his money during the festival period. The tourist side was not neglected from the beginning, in a city boasting 200 nationalities from all over the world, forming a microcosm of the globe. This led the Dubai Shopping Festival to establish The Global Village, an international exhibition of different peoples' cultures and products. The festival is also accompanied by concerts hosting some of the biggest names in music industry, and other theatrical and cultural events presented by famous performers, along with sports events for adrenaline junkies, and the fireworks shows that Dubai has been noted for in La Mer, Dubai Festival City, Al Seef, and Dubai Creek. That is added to the international food from a food stall and luxury restaurants where everyone finds their next favourite dish.
