The UAE's annual spring homage to retail therapy and consumer spending, better known to the world as the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), is officially in session! The festival of mega retail that helped put Dubai on the tourist map has become bigger and better with each passing year. Its biggest attraction continues to be the raffles of cash, cars and life-changing prizes. It is only right that we helped you along with your quest to win big, so we've listed a selection of mega raffles and promotions that has come to define this annual event that blends entertainment, shopping and culture into one fun filled family extravaganza. Good luck!
Gold rush
The Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group (DGJG) coffers have created a raffle of epic proportions. For a minimum spend of Dh1,000, shoppers will go into a daily draw to win half a kilo of gold. With a total of 19 kilos of gold for the taking, DGJG has also announced a special bumper prize of three kilos of gold to one lucky shopper on the last day of the festival. If gold just doesn't seem enough, buyers of diamonds, pearls and watches can win up to Dh2 million in cash vouchers through a special ‘Scratch and Win' promotion. For every Dh1,000 spent, a shopper is entitled to one ‘Scratch n Win' coupon.Close to 300 gold and jewellery outlets will participate including Damas Jewellery, Joyalukkas Jewellery, Atlas Jewellery, Chittilappilly Jewellers, Malabar Gold and Meena Jewellery among others.
Dates: January 5 to February 5. For more information visit www.dubaicityofgold.com
Cars and cash aplenty
AW Rostamani Arabian Automobiles' DSF offering is a two-part luxe giveaway, starting with the Infiniti Mega Raffle (which replaces the Lexus Raffle from last year) worth Dh16 million. The raffle will have a daily cap of 5,000 tickets, priced at Dh200 each, where one daily winner will receive an Infiniti QX56 (worth Dh350,000) plus Dh100,000 in cash. The winning ticket will be drawn at 8 pm every day and broadcast to the public via Sama Dubai TV. As a bonus, a bumper raffle will award three additional winners on the final day of DSF, bringing the grand total to 35 winners. The Nissan Grand Raffle offers a Nissan every single day with offering 1 of 8 Nissan models as a daily prize with a minimum purchase of Dh20 at ENOC and EPPCO service stations (excluding fuel purchase). The prize line-up includes the Nissan Tiida Sedan, Tiida Hatchback, Altima Sedan, Juke, Qashqai, Xterra, Murano, and Patrol.
Dates: January 5 to February 5. For more information visit www.dubaievents.ae or call Ahlan Dubai 600 545 5555
Mall millionaire
Mall maniacs rejoice! Majid Al Futtaim Malls' DSF raffle gives shoppers the chance to triple their spending power and up to Dh1 million in prizes. For a combined spend of Dh300 at any of its malls during DSF — Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre and Deira City Centre — shoppers qualify to win weekly shopping sprees worth Dh300,000. Each mall will also host its own exclusive line-up of entertainment and promotions to celebrate the festival in their own unique way.
Dates: January 5 to February 5. For more information visit www.malloftheemirates.com, www.mirdifcitycentre.com, www.deiracitycentre.com
Oasis Centre's popular Money Mania contest returns with a prize pot of gift vouchers worth Dh300,000 during DSF. Every weekend until February 5, shoppers will have a chance to grab as many currency notes as possible while blindfolded inside a crystal cube to win gift vouchers equivalent to their total monetary value.
Participants can choose from five play options ranging from taking a partner inside the cube, a bonus Dh1,000 note or extra time of ten seconds. To participate, shoppers must spend Dh200 in any of the stores at Oasis Centre and register via SMS to select radio stations. Participants may also be picked at random from among spectators at the mall. Shoppers can also enter a raffle draw on a minimum spend of Dh200 during the DSF period.
Dates: Every Friday and Saturday from January 5 to February 5. For more information call Oasis Centre at +971 4 515 4000
Bling-bling ka-ching!
Al Futtaim Watches and Jewellery has announced a weekly DSF draw with a prize of shopping vouchers worth Dh250,000. Twenty-five lucky winners stand to win shopping vouchers worth Dh10,000 each, with five winners being announced each week. The great news is that there is no set minimum spend for this raffle, so shoppers at any Al Futtaim Watches and Jewellery outlet, The Watch House or Time Zone store are eligible to participate.
Dates: The weekly draws will be held on January 9, 16, 23, 30 and February 6, 2012. For more information call Al Futtaim Watches and Jewellery at Dubai Festival City on +971 4 206 6970 or +971 4 206 6980
Gateway of Deira
Billed the Gateway of Deira, Al Ghurair Centre's DSF line-up will see the return of its signature attractions, including the hugely popular night souk, the pulsing pavements of Al Riqqa Street and its signature fun fair that will treat shoppers to daily circus-themed events and activities at the Al Ghurair Centre.
Twelve lucky winners will share Al Ghurair's DSF prize pot this year. Shoppers who spend a minimum of Dh200 at any of Al Ghurair Centre's retail outlets will stand to win thousands of dirhams' worth of shopping vouchers that can be spent at the mall.
Dates: January 5 to February 5, 2011. For more information visit www.alghuraircentre.com n
Log on to Facebook and win Dubai trip
If you're afraid your overseas family and friends might miss DSF this year, worry no more. Get them to log on to DSF's Facebook page and win the DSF 2012 Puzzle Challenge, which runs till January 21. Four winners and their families (two adults and two children) will be flown into Dubai by Emirates airline for a three-nights-and-four-days stay at Intercontinental in Dubai Festival City and given Dh1,000 shopping vouchers to spend at BurJuman and Toy Store.
How to participate:
1. Become a fan of Dubai Events, click the ‘Puzzle' tab and fill in your details.
2. You get five minutes to solve the puzzle.
3. You can try the puzzle as many times as you want and can share your time results with friends.
4. The player solving the puzzle in the shortest time wins the grand prize.
— Staff Report
