Ramadan Night Market something a bit different

Shoppers eager to find something different for their loved ones this Eid-Al-Fitr will be able to sample the products on sale at a new night market opening this week.

Shoppers eager to find something a little different for their loved ones this Eid Al Fitr will be able to sample the goods on sale at a new market that opens this week.

The Ramadan Night Market opens on Friday in the Dubai World Trade Centre and will feature 200 retailers, from small unknown stores to major brands such as Panasonic.

It will run for 10 days from 8pm to 3am alongside the Majlis tent, Modhesh World and the Sports World complex.

"We are approaching about 200 stands, which is good for the launch of the event," said Samantha Cordeiro, the brand manager for the market at Sumansa Exhibitions, the organisers.

"We have small brands that cannot afford to have a store in one of the malls."

Sumansa is aiming to take advantage of the growing retail market in the UAE as many stores in malls report sales growth as high as 30 per cent this year compared with 12 months ago.

In response, developers throughout the country are investing in the retail sector, building malls or extending existing shopping centres.

In Dubai, Emaar Properties is expanding Dubai Mall, Nakheel is examining plans to double the size of both Dragon Mart and Ibn Battuta mall, as well as building a new mall on the Palm Jumeirah.

In Abu Dhabi, 260,000 square metres of retail space is expected to be completed this year, on top of the 1.67 million sq metres already available in the capital, according to the property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle.

The Ramadan fair is expected to become an annual event and will feature products and brands from around the region, including food, clothing and leather goods, electronics, perfumes, home appliances, accessories, furniture, handicrafts, toys and musical instruments.

"It's going to be high-end because we have some big brands," said Ms Cordeiro.

"People are quite interested already and waiting for it to start.

"We have stalls, so it will definitely look like an exhibition," said Ms Cordeiro.

"The last 10 days of Ramadan are when people wait to shop and in terms of preparation for Eid."

The night market expects to attract shoppers looking for a bargain or something a bit more quirky that might not be found in Dubai's usual malls.

The organisers hope to attract visitors from around the UAE and wider Arabian Gulf as well as residents of Dubai.

"[Shoppers] will definitely be from all over the UAE," said Ms Cordeiro.

"We have stands from outside the UAE. It will attract people from other countries as well. It is open for all."

Sumansa expects 20,000 visitors over the 10 days.