São Paulo – The emirate of Dubai is getting ready to host its traditional shopping festival in January 2015. The Dubai Shopping Festival is always held early in the year with promotions at local commercial establishments, and it’s now reaching the 20th edition, according to information released by the local media. The event will continue until February 1st.
The theme for next year will be precisely the event’s 20th anniversary. According to Laila Mohammad Suhail, the CEO of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, an agency of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing that organizes the festival, the plan is to have a monumental edition. In a statement to Gulf News, Suhail noted that the event will be held despite the world economic crisis, whereas festivals in other countries have been cancelled.
Since 1996 when it was first held, the shopping festival has brought 56 million visitors to Dubai, who spent a combined 145 billion dirhams (US$ 39 billion). The pillars of the event are shopping, entertainment and winnings. International artists and even street performers are often featured.
Local retail outlets are already beginning to advertise their attractions and promotions. Special decorations are also common. Dubai Outlet Mall, owned by the Al Ahli conglomerate, has announced that consumers will have a chance to win a luxury car, a Cadillac SRX 2015, in a raffle draw, for every 250 dirhams spent (US$ 68). The mall also hosts a contest for would-be models, among other things.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
