The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the most famous shopping bag in the world, opens today at 4pm at Dubai Creek Park. The 15th chapter of the 32-day event will open doors to bigger raffle draw prizes, shopping attractions and entertainment for all ages. Residents and visitors alike, particularly families, are expected to visit the venue today where entry is free and they can watch the fireworks light up the Dubai skies at 8:30pm. The fireworks will be held everyday till February 20. The official opening ceremony will be held beside Burj Khalifa at 7pm.
A variety show ranging from cultural presentations to traditional touches will highlight the opening day. Crowning itself with a track record of breaking 40 Guinness World Records and more than 40 million visitors who spent over Dh84 billion in a month-long shopping in Dubai, the DSF’s achievements in 15 years cannot be underestimated.
Laila Suhail, CEO of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), organiser of the DSF, told Khaleej Times that the festival has a positive impact on the retail and tourism sectors, and an indirect impact on other sectors such as restaurants, tourist destinations, rent-a-car agencies, money exchange outlets and many others in the past 15 years of the DSF.
“Dubai received more than 40 million visitors and those visitors produced an expenditure of around Dh84 billion, distributed on the main economic sectors of the city. These remarkable accomplishments that were achieved in the past 15 years, have helped position the city of Dubai in the global tourism map,” Laila said. The main attractions of DSF 2011 include the Middle East debut of Amy Winehouse, a world renowned singer; the very successful Gulf Bike Week, and the popular Dubai Skywards International Jazz Festival, in addition to the most famous Arabic singers in a series of Arabic open air concerts. – Khaleej Times
