Business
Dubai Shopping Festival opens
People gather near Al Seef Street to watch fireworks
- By Nadia Saleem, Staff Reporter
- Published: 21:04 January 28, 2010
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
- The fireworks on the backdrop of Dubai Creek enthraled the crowds.
Dubai: Dubai Shopping Festival officially opened on Thursday night as people gathered on Al Seef Street to celebrate the opening.
People have driven from far and walked from nearby neighborhoods to watch the extensive display of fireworks at Al Seef Street.
Marking the official opening of Dubai Shopping Festival, the fireworks on the backdrop of Dubai Creek enthraled the crowds.
"I am excited about the sales but I hope they have good stocks. I do not expect this year's festival to be anything more special that the ones before," said Rana Ashour, who has seen many editions of the festival.
The event has evolved over the years as it brought fun activities, shows and concerts. It expanded its network of sponsors and partner retailers. The festival is now spread out across the city, with offers, promotions and discounts in the many malls. Residents and visitors in Dubai encounter attractions that revolve around themes of entertainment, culinary to cultural activities in most retail locations, to feed the shopping culture of the city.
Organized by Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), formerly knows as the Dubai Shopping Festival Office, this year marks the festival’s 15th year, a testament to its success.
In its inaugural year, DSF attracted 1.6 million visitors in 1996 that spent about Dh2.15 billion in 43 days. Over 14 years of increasing popularity of Dubai as a destination and as a result of promotional efforts by retail and tourism players, 2009 saw visitor numbers touch 3.35 million who spent approximately Dh9.8 billion.
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