Dubai Shopping Festival DSF

Saturday, May 2, 2009





Introduction

Dubai Shopping Festival was launched in 1996 under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as a leading tourist destination and to stimulate the economic and tourism sectors in the city. The concept was the first of its kind in the region and proved to be highly successful mainly due to the close cooperation between the government and the private sectors.

Dubai Shopping Festival has become a global attraction today and a distinguished landmark in the global festivals industry, offering the best in shopping, winning and family entertainment. The DSF theme of 'One World, One Family, One Festival' is a reflection of the event's universal appeal and attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every year.

In late 2007, HH Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued a decree to formally establish the office of the Dubai Shopping Festival, which will be a financially and administratively independent public sector company. This decision affirms the great importance of the annual extravaganza, and the emphasis on DSF as a national event that reflects the development and prosperity of the city of Dubai.

The Aim
Dubai Shopping Festival was initiated with two key objectives in mind: to promote Dubai as the ultimate global shopping and tourist destination by creating world class events and retail promotions, and to set the benchmark for events and festivals around the world.

The Concept
Dubai Shopping Festival is based primarily on the theme of 'One World. One Family. One Festival' that aims to treat families of diverse nationalities and family members of all ages with the best shopping and family entertainment experience in the region.

Shopping is an integral part of Dubai Shopping Festival and the retail sector in Dubai comes alive during a whole month of amazing promotions and incredible prizes. The Dubai Shopping Malls Group, the official body representing malls in Dubai, plays an important role in attracting shoppers by organizing entertainment events and promotions. The Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group, representing jewellery outlets in Dubai, offer the latest and the best in gold and jewellery to shoppers during DSF. In addition to the numerous malls that offer promotions, the streets of Dubai also host shopping bazaars that recreate the authentic shopping atmosphere of souqs. Dubai Shopping Festival offers the finest shopping experience in the region for the millions of visitors, tourists, and shoppers from around the world.

Winning is a vital characteristic of DSF and it is interlinked to shopping as every shopper is provided the chance to be rewarded with incredible prizes. Over the years, prizes in the form of cash, cars, and gold have been given away as shopping incentives and it has become the vibrant visible face of the shopping festival.

Success of DSF
Dubai Shopping Festival became an instant success from its very first edition in 1996, redefining the nature of entertainment and shopping in the region and raising the bar high for other festivals. Its diversified events and relentless strive towards providing the best in shopping experiences, winning, and family entertainment has attracted millions of visitors over the years and positioned the glamorous city of Dubai as the new hub for tourism and commerce in the region. The carefully planned progress in each edition paved the way for unprecedented achievements in terms of stimulating various economic sectors in Dubai and the UAE, and setting new records in visitor numbers and retail revenues.

This success has been possible through the cooperation between the government and the private sectors. The synergy between the two entities has been responsible in contributing to development plans in all areas to position Dubai as one of the most advanced cities in the world.

The sponsors of DSF have contributed immensely to the success of the festival by offering unwavering support through organising various entertainment events and promotional offers. These events and promotions have succeeded in attracting visitors and residents to shopping malls throughout Dubai.

The city of Dubai has undergone massive changes in the past decade to emerge as a world-class destination with a high level of infrastructure that includes the largest shopping malls, the most luxurious hotels, state-of-the-art facilities, and a fast developing transport system. These factors will always be a cutting edge for Dubai Shopping festival to lead the way in the festival industry.

The success of DSF can be gauged from the visitor and visitor spending figures over the past editions. In the inaugural edition of DSF in 1996, 1.6 million visitors spent about AED 2.15 billion in 43 days. By the year 2006-2007, which witnessed a combined 11th and 12th edition of DSF, the visitor number had touched 3.5 million and the spending figure had reached a massive AED 10.2 billion.

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