Discounts of up to 80% across Abu Dhabi during ‘Summer of Style'

Abu Dubai Retail is giving everyone plenty of motivation to enjoy the cool of the capital’s malls this summer by offering some of the year’s biggest and most exciting discounts.

A huge sale is under way until September 10 with Abu Dhabi Summer Shopping Season, featuring savings of up to 80 per cent across more than 25 malls and 3,500 retailers.

On top of that wallet-friendly campaign, Abu Dhabi Retail’s big Shop, Scratch and Win competition runs from August 1 until August 31, giving shoppers a chance to land some enviable prizes.

Mall visitors should also watch out for a multitude of imaginative activations, including masterclasses, workshops and much more lined up every week.

These are happening at various destinations and designed to showcase the city and other malls around the emirate as a prime shopping experience. So, what can visitors expect of Abu Dhabi Summer Shopping Season?

Abu Dhabi Retail’s big Shop, Scratch and Win competition runs from August 1 until August 31

Under the banner of #SummerOfStyle, Abu Dhabi Retail is launching its Shop, Scratch and Win initiative to enable lucky shoppers an opportunity to win daily during the next few weeks.

And it is simple to enter - if someone spends more than Dh300 in one transaction in any participating mall in Abu Dhabi, they are eligible to participate, by visiting shopandwinabudhabi.com, registering and uploading the relevant receipt.

They are then in the running to win “incredible summer prizes” such as Abu Dhabi hotel staycations, beach day passes, tasty culinary experiences, spa discounts, and much more.

Abu Dhabi Retail is also revealing the latest lineup of exciting activations it says will continue to illuminate the capital during another busy Abu Dhabi Summer Shopping Season.

Its inaugural event - a Bag-Styling Session with Carolina Herrera on July 6 - was a huge success. This was followed by a full house at the Personalised Beauty Masterclass with Kiko Milano at Yas Mall on July 12.

Abu Dhabi Retail says its summer calendar is jam-packed with an extraordinary series of masterclasses, workshops, and much more

Shoppers across Abu Dhabi can indulge in a variety of other activations and events hosted by renowned fashion and beauty personalities at a range of prominent locations every week during the summer, until September 8.

These venues include landmark retail destinations such as Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall, The Galleria Mall Al Maryah Island, Mushrif Mall, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi, and Reem Mall.

Also in the campaign are centres such as Al Dhafra Mall, Al Foah Mall, Al Raha Mall, Al Wahda Mall and Madinat Zayed, in Abu Dhabi city centre along with WTC, and Al Ain’s Al Jimi Mall and Makani Al Ain Mall.

Abu Dhabi Retail says its summer calendar is jam-packed with an extraordinary series of masterclasses, workshops, and much more, aimed at elevating the shopping experience to even greater heights.

It declares the season a chance to become immersed in a world of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle as Abu Dhabi’s premier malls come alive with captivating events and experiences, with something for the whole family.

A visit to the Abu Dhabi Retail website will reveal the full schedule as it is confirmed, including timings and mall locations, as well as the brands - both global and regional - that are seeking to get on your radar and be part of your lifestyle.

Abu Dhabi Retail has become renowned for its citywide campaigns to showcase the best of the emirate’s year-round retail programming. This includes the Winter Shopping Season, a special Ramadan campaign, as well as the current summer season experience, which actually began on June 23 and runs until September 10.

Shoppers visiting Dalma Mall, Khalidiyah Mall, Deerfields, Bawadi Mall, Forsan Central, Bawabat Al Sharq Mall, Barari Mall, Hili Mall, Fotouh Alkhair Centre, and Mazyad Mall, can also participate.

Find out more and keep up to date with what’s going on during Abu Dhabi Summer Shopping Season, #SummerOfStyle by following @AbuDhabiRetail on Instagram.

Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now

There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:

1. Rising US interest rates

The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.

Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”

At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.

2. Stronger dollar

High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”

3. Global trade war

Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”

4. Eurozone uncertainty

Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”

The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”