Dubai: Whenever the annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is here, the city is dressed at its best. This year, some 1,700 different compositions of lighting beautify the city and most of them arae actually reused and made from recycled materials, organisers said.
Lighting and decorations – from a huge high-heeled shoe and a diamond to a shopping bag – are displayed at vantage points in the city and main thoroughfares to help bring a festive atmosphere to Dubai throughout the festival.
The city-wide lighting covers key locations, highways, parks and bridges, namely, Shaikh Zayed Road — from the Dubai World Trade Centre to the Dubai Mall bridge, Shaikh Rashid Road, Al Saada Road, Al Soufouh Road, and Al Riqqa Road, among others.
The areas surrounding Zabeel Park, Dubai International Airport Terminals 2 and 3, Al Maktoum Bridge and Al Garhoud Bridge also have their own lighting.
The lights are switched on from 6pm to 6am the next day, but they are actually sustainable, organisers said.
“We have invested substantially in the city-wide lighting project. However, in line with our commitment to keep costs at minimal levels, the lighting is powered by energy-efficient bulbs and eco-friendly lighting systems. In fact, some 70 per cent of the lighting systems use organic and recyclable materials,” an official from the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) Media Centre told Gulf News.
“In addition to the lighting, Dubai is also decked up with festive DSF banners, flags and other decorative material to further enhance the welcoming ambience for tens of thousands of visitors to the city during the 32 days of the shopping extravaganza,” the official added.
After DSF, the lights and decors are kept at the storehouse of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, for re-use for the next DSF.
