Dubai: Residents and visitors welcomed the ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping initiative launched on Thursday as part of the two-week ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations.
A directive from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai provided the spark for the shopping initiative, which will see over 10 major malls in Dubai receiving shoppers day and night for three weekends from October 18.
Malls participating in the initiative including The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, Deira City Centre, Dubai Festival City, Ibn Battuta Mall, Arabian Centre, and Lamcy Plaza are playing up the ‘Shop All Day, Shop All Night’ slogan and will remain open for over 60 consecutive hours each weekend — from Thursday until Saturday night. Special offers and discounts await shoppers who they stick around between midnight until 7am.
Saif Hashim, a regular visitor to the UAE from Oman, said he and his wide are both excited about the extended shopping window as it would help them avoid a last-minute dash to make purchases before their return. “Sometimes we have to rush to the mall the night before we travel back to Oman to do some last-minute shopping but now, with the malls opening for longer hours, we can do our shopping in a leisurely way,” he said.
Another regular visitor to Dubai, Saudi national Saeed Al Ghatani said the initiative is especially a boon for people who love shopping, like himself and his wife. “Whenever we get the chance, we always travel to Dubai to enjoy our holidays. But this ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebration is different as it has many new activities and the idea of keeping shopping malls open for 24 hours is great, especially for shopaholics like my wife and me,” he said.
Rasheed Karoush, a tourist from Denmark, who is in Dubai with his family, said the trip would also enable his children to experience Arab and Islamic culture during the Eid in Dubai celebrations.