It's fun to shop this season

The 13th edition of the festival promises to be 52 fun-filled and exciting days of entertainment, bargains, promotions and fabulous deals. Dubai is seeing shoppers, visitors, tourists, corporate giants and government agencies coming together to participate in one of the biggest and most recognised shopping festivals of the region, which runs until August 7.

Family fun

Laila Suhail, CEO, Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), says, "The theme for this year's DSS is ‘Dubai, your destination of summer surprises', that aims to highlight the many attractions that Dubai has to offer in addition to emphasising the fact that families can enjoy an affordable and exciting summer holiday during DSS."

Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) is supporting the festival once again, and at the launch of the group's DSS 2010 promotions, Suhail told how it is hoped to take shopping in the emirate to the next level. "Since its inception in 1996, DEPE has been working closely with the retail sector in general, and DSMG in particular, to create an ideal environment for the retailers to enhance their business. Thirteen years later, our cooperation has produced great results and achievements — together we have contributed in positioning Dubai as the second favourite retail destination worldwide, with only 1 per cent difference behind the city of London."

Suhail adds, "By building on our accumulated experiences, and capitalising on the state-of-the-art infrastructure of Dubai, we are aiming to take the shopping experience in Dubai to another level, this reinforcing its posture as a leading shopping hub in the region and the world."

Boost to the economy

Events such as DSS help to boost the economy. Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development, says, "Festivals and innovative tourism initiatives have proved to be a successful tool to stimulate the tourism and hospitality sectors, and be a key driving force for domestic economies.

"Dubai, following the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was one of the first cities in the region to acknowledge the importance of the festival industry in supporting the GDP since the mid 1990s."

Al Qamzi hailed the sponsors of DSS 2010, stating that the support of an event of this magnitude by leading local and international entities is a clear indication of the stable economy of Dubai, and a clear vote of confidence from the private sector towards Dubai government initiatives.

Suhail echoes this sentiment and says the festival will attract more visitors this summer. When asked what this year's DSS hopes to achieve, she says, "DSS intends to pro-actively manage the economic challenges with enthusiasm and a strategic approach. We are expecting an increase in the number of regional tourists especially from the Gulf to offset the decrease in international visitors. Gulf tourists are still going to be travelling this summer and they will be looking for value-for-money destinations close to home. Additionally, DEPE has laid extra emphasis on targeting multi-cultural audiences in the UAE."

When DSS was launched, visitor turnout was a modest 600,000. That number touched 2.2 million in 2009 with an equivalent consumer spending of Dh3.37 billion. The DEPE is aiming for a 5 per cent increase in visitors this year and with a grand budget of Dh60 million, there is no doubt of the success of this festival.

Not just shopping

But aside from the benefits for businesses in Dubai, DSS offers a whole lot of fun for visitors and residents. As the malls are transformed into entertainment venues, and the city is turned into an oasis of summer fun, no effort has been spared to make sure there is something for everyone.

This DSS summer shopping promises to be more exciting and rewarding than ever before.

With more than 6,000 retail outlets participating and with discounts of up to 70 per cent, shoppers can look forward to picking up their favourite brands at throwaway prices. Every shopper is also rewarded for a purchase and individual malls are giving away cars, cash, and shopping vouchers.

Parents looking for ways to entertain youngsters over the hot summer months can head off to Modhesh World, the region's largest indoor ‘edutainment' centre, or go to one of the many events in the malls, such as World of Stories at Mercato.

If after all the shopping and entertainment, you need a little pampering, then head to any of the 40 top spas that are participating in DSS. These spas are offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on a wide range of treatments. Expect to enjoy two-for-one offers and pampering complimentary extras on a number of treatments and therapies including body scrubs, rasul mud baths, reflexology sessions, ayurveda treatments, Moroccan baths, Swedish and Thai massages, beautifying and detoxifying treatments, and numerous other specialised therapies catering to men and women.

And if you're feeling a little selfish with all this shopping then the Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale, held at Mercato on July 9, is the perfect opportunity to give a little back.

This annual event has chefs from the Jumeirah Group team up to create thousands of tantalising cakes that are sold for nominal prices and the proceeds are donated to the Dubai Autism Centre. More than 3,300 cakes were sold last year.

With all this and more this year's DSS promises to be the highlight of the season — so don't miss the action.

Key sponsors: The big names in the game

The key sponsors for this year's DSS are Al Futtaim Group, BurJuman, Coca Cola, Dubai Shopping Malls Group, Dubai Duty Free, Dubai World Trade Centre, Emaar Malls Group, Emirates airline, MAF Properties,MasterCard, and Wafi.

And the participating malls are Al Bustan Centre, Al Ghurair City, Al Manal Centre, Al Mulla Plaza, Arabian Centre, BurJuman, Century Mall, Deira City Centre, Dubai Festival City, Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Outlet Mall, Hamarain Centre, Lamcy Plaza, Mall of the Emirates, Mazaya Centre, Mercato, Mirdif City Centre, Oasis Centre, Palm Strip, Reef Mall, Souk Al Bahar, The Dubai Mall, Town Centre, and Wafi.