Muscat: Oman is an important stop in Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) road show that is covering GCC, Egypt and India, according to Ebrahim Saleh, Festival Coordinator General and Deputy CEO of Dubai Events.
Showcasing the DSF to tour operators and media on Wednesday at the Shangri-La's Barr al Jizza, Ebrahim said that Oman was one of the largest tourist markets for Dubai.
"Oman is only second to Saudi Arabia as far as number of visitors to DSF are concerned," he said in reply to a question but added that they didn't keep statistics of number of people coming to Dubai from Oman during the DSF.
Sadiq Shukoor, Sales Manager, of Emirates airline, outlined the various offers, including visa facilities offered by them to those wishing to visit Dubai during DSF.
Ebrahim agreed that recently the visa procedure had become slightly stricter unlike in the past. "We will carry feedback and pass it on to the relevant authorities to make visa procedure smooth," he assured.
Sadiq said that the Emirates website had a page on online visa application.
"That would also give good idea of who are, among expatriates, eligible for getting visa to visit Dubai during DSF," he pointed out.
Ebrahim revealed that in the last 15 years, DSF has generated Dh89 billion worth of business while giving away Dh1.35 million in prizes.
"About 40 million have visited Dubai since DSF started in 1996," he added.
