Dubai Shopping Festival energises tourism sector

Dubai: The 15th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival came to an end on Sunday after 32 days of festivities across the city.

The closing ceremony at the One&Only Royal Mirage hotel was attended by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

Other notables included Shaikh Hasher Maktoum, Dubai Director of Information; Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development; Laila Suhail, CEO of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, and Ebrahim Saleh, DSF Coordinator General.

DSF has traditionally acted as a stimulus for the tourism industry in Dubai, raising hotel occupancy and increasing the number of flights to Dubai.

This year was no different with leading hotels reporting a rise in occupancy during the period. According to statements issued by the DSF committee, the influx of tourists during DSF is mainly from the GCC.

Maximum capacity

The heavily discounted prices and entertainment provided in shopping malls also ensured a rise in footfall.

The Global Village, located in Dubailand, enjoyed another successful year as it receved up to 155,000 visitors in one day, exceeding the fairground's maximum capacity.

The government funding for the DSF and private sector sponsorship amounted to Dh65 million this year.

The closing ceremony began with the UAE national anthem and other classical favourites performed by the young talents of the Emirates Symphony Orchestra.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of the Department of Economic Development, Al Qamzi said, "This event has significantly contributed to transforming the commercial and tourism sectors in the emirate, registering bigger achievements year on year."

Prize distribution

Apart from honouring the key sponsors of this year's DSF, the ceremony also witnessed the prize distribution to winners of the DSF 2010 Innovation, Journalism, and Photography Awards and ended with a display of fireworks and a jazz performance by the Cabaret Jazz band.

Gulf News walked away with seven prizes in the journalism and photography categories. The newspaper was also awarded a prize for ‘best daily coverage'.

"When we do our work, we don't put it in our head to win prizes. We work to meet our readers' expectation, be it a story or picture or design. If awards come to us for good work we strive to do it for our readers as our happiness lies in the hands of our readers.

"We understand in our work that whatever our individuals achieve be it a reporter, photographer or designer, he himself couldn't have done it without the help of the bigger team which includes all people in charge of producing the paper," said Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief of Gulf News.

Cleofe Maceda, staff reporter for Gulf News and winner of the ‘Best feature' story, said that prize means a lot more than recognition.

Incentive

"Acknowledging excellence is a great incentive for journalists to constantly strive to produce human-interest stories that readers can relate to. It's not about the prize money. It's about the sense of pride I feel when I stand back and look at what I've done and how my stories have touched many readers."

Innovation Awards

The 2010 Journalism Award

The DSF 2010 Photography Award