It’s that time of the year again in Dubai. There’s a nip in the air in the evenings as the winter wears on. The windows and walls of every neighbourhood in town are splashed with the four-letter word that makes your heart skip a beat. No, it’s not ‘love’, but ‘Sale’, which is music to the ears of shoppers looking for cool deals on favourite brands. The annual shopping frenzy that is the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is on.
Started about 20 years ago by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) — an arm of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing — the DSF has transformed the face of Dubai’s retail sector over the years.
“If we look at the retail sector from a tourism point of view, it is one of the key pullers to Dubai with such strong and vibrant infrastructure for retail that includes huge malls and all kind of traditional souqs,” says Laila Mohammed Suhail, CEO of DFRE.
Over 56 million visitors have visited Dubai so far from 1996 to 2014, and have spent AED 145 billion. “Today DSF accounts for 30 per cent of the total retail sales,” says Suhail. “The festival has now become the key season for retailers. They actually plan and prepare their retail calendar around this time of the year.”
About 25 per cent of DFRE’s yearly budget to promote festivals comes from the government. Most of the festivals are now self-funded and receive funding and support through sponsorships and partnering.
“We as a government spoke to the private sector and said we will never be able to succeed unless the private sector too comes on board and extends support to make it happen. And this partnership is the secret ingredient for the success of DSF,” says Suhail.
The Dubai Shopping Malls Group, the official body representing malls in Dubai, plays an important role in attracting shoppers by organising entertainment events and promotions.
Indian shoppers Various malls and brands offer huge discounts, often up to 75 per cent, during the DSF, attracting shoppers from many countries. Sudha Shrimali, who works with a national Hindi daily, is just back with bags full of goodies from Dubai. “Most brands you find in Dubai are available in India, but shopping in the emirate’s malls is a completely different experience,” says Sudha. “You can be completely assured of the quality and authenticity of the products you buy in Dubai.”
Indians are fascinated with gold; thus, a visit to the gold souq in Dubai is a must. “Gold is marginally cheaper in Dubai but more than prices it is the wide range of designs, variety, and the assurance of purity that attracts Indians to the souq,” Sudha adds.
Retail-related festivals are part of DFRE’s strategy to leverage the events sector in boosting retail. The organisation aims to increase the number of visitors to the Emirate to 20 million by 2020; it organises six other festivals including Dubai Summer Surprises, Modhesh World, Ramdan in Dubai, Eid in Dubai, Dubai Motor Festival and Dubai Food Festival.
DSF will run till February 1 with the theme ‘20th Anniversary – A Journey of Celebrations,’ with 150 events and activities held across the city. With expats from over 200 nationalities living in Dubai, the Emirate has something to offer for everyone.
(The writer was in Dubai at the invitation of Dubai Tourism)