Noticed how a yellow mascot takes over the billboards and malls of Dubai over the summer months? Well, that's Modhesh, he's been around since 1997 and he's the mascot for Dubai Summer Surprises.
What is Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS)? It's a citywide 'festival' that takes over indoor spaces across Dubai every year over the hotter months, here's what you can expect...
Sales
The most prominent element of DSS are the sales – this year, the summer festival runs from June 21 to August 3, and you can expect sales across all of Dubai's major malls.
Last year, 17 malls participated, including Mall of the Emirates and Outlet Village. Shops that are involved in the sales will generally have yellow and blue signs in their windows – last year 700 brands at 3,000 outlets offered discounts.
There are also deals of the day announced on the DSS social media every day: example deals from last year include a pair of free branded sunglasses with every eyewear purchase at Al Jaber Optical and everything under Dh50 at Mothercare.
Entertainment
Throughout the six weeks you can expect plenty of entertainment pop ups in malls, especially on weekends: from acrobatics to interactive shows for kids.
There are also always 'big ticket' shows, that are generally still free. Last year Hala al Turk and Hussain Jassmi performed, and the year before that The Greatest Showman star, Zendaya, visited Dubai as part of the festival.
This year's events haven't been announced yet, but we will keep you posted.
Modhesh World
This family 'edutainment' centre takes over Dubai World Trade Centre during the festival: 2019 will be the 20th annual iteration of Modhesh World. The best bit is that entry is completely free (and it's easily accessible by Dubai Metro).
There will be experiences, games, shows and workshops, and visitors will be able to ride, climb, skate, drive, bungee jump, play arcades, read and eat.
Fast fact: Modhesh was designed to represent sunshine – something there is plenty of during Dubai's summer months.
Competitions
There are also plenty of chance to win throughout DSS – from cars to cash. For instance, last year shoppers at Mirdif City Centre had the chance to win a Nissan Patrol; and Majid Al Futtaim malls held a competition that meant if you spent Dh300 at any of their malls you could win Dh1 million.
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