If there’s one thing we all know about Dubai, it’s that it's a shopper’s paradise.
Much of that is thanks to the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), an annual event that has become synonymous with the city itself.
To correct a common misconception, DSF is not a giant fair or exhibition where you can buy goods.
Instead it's an approximately month-long, city-wide event organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, part of Dubai’s department of tourism, during which most major retailers offer huge discounts. There are also daily raffle prizes, firework displays, entertainment and more.
During that time, there is no one location you can visit to enjoy DSF, but scores of events, promotions and entertainment taking place throughout the city.
The first festival in 1996
The history of the DSF dates back beyond even the launch of many of the city’s leading shopping malls.
The festival launched in 1996 under the directive of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, now UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as a leading tourist destination and stimulate economic and tourism sectors.
The first festival of its kind, it was planned to cover three main aspects: shopping, prizes and family entertainment.
“At that time, Al Ghurair Mall and City Centre Deira malls opened with the Dubai Shopping Festival, making them the first malls to participate in the festival,” Ahmed Al Khaja, chief executive of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, tells The National. "High street retail, traditional markets and gold souq retailers had also participated in DSF since its inception and they continue to contribute to DSF."
In its inaugural year, there were 121 Lexus GS300 cars and 43 kilograms of gold up for grabs in various raffle draws. There was entertainment in the form of musical performances, as well as a city-wide carnival with street entertainment and sporting events such as the Dubai World Cup horse race.
Fireworks have been a regular part of the festival since its inception, and the 1996 DSF introduced Rashed Al Majed’s single Dubai Danat Al Dunya to the world.
Since then, there has been no looking back, with the festival taking place every year with the exception of 2006 when it was cancelled after news of the death of former Dubai Ruler Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid.
Introducing Global Village, themes and entertainment galore
In 1997, the second DSF introduced a shopping exhibition on the Creekside of Baniyas Street, featuring international pavilions with handicrafts, food and more.
This aspect of the festival became a huge crowd-puller – and is the origin story behind Global Village, now considered one of Dubai’s most well-known attractions. Global Village later shifted location to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, where it remains, and grew to become the seasonal theme park we know and love today.
One of the defining features of DSF has always been its ability to innovate and introduce new features.
The third DSF, in 1998, was no exception. Its theme “children of the world meet in Dubai” set out to make it a more family-friendly affair.
In 1999, under the theme of “the biggest family gathering of the millennium", the festival expanded to street venues, with Al Riqqa, Al Muraqabbat, Al Diyafah and Al Seef coming alive with events such as Smurfs Village, Planet Pepsi, Toy City and other family-focused entertainment.
While shopping has always been at the forefront, other aspects were not overlooked. In 2003, for example, DSF hosted performers Whitney Houston, Bryan Adams, AR Rahman, Zakir Hussain and Jethro Tull. That same year, 32kg of gold was raffled, and Dubai Fashion, a weeklong event of fashion shows with top designers, was held as part of the event.
Photos of Dubai Shopping Festival's star-studded opening ceremony in 2021:
Another big year for DSF was 2009. With Dubai Mall opening in 2008, it was the first time the "world’s largest mall" was added to the roster, and it did so with much excitement.
"Themed Forest Show was one of the DSF 2009 highlights at the mall, with about 30 international performers putting on a spectacular show combining acrobatics and expansive stage settings,” Al Khaja says.
The Walk at JBR was another new venue added that year, with international artists displaying a variety of work, from sand sculpting to macro photography.
New milestones and records broken
Numerous boundary-pushing events have been announced as part of DSF. In 2013, the Dubai Metro turned into a catwalk for Bloomingdale's as part of a DSF event. The next year, in partnership with luxury retailer Etoile La Boutique, DSF held a first-of-its-kind vertical catwalk, with models gliding on the walls of Burj Khalifa using ropes and wires.
Other events were so successful they went on to become as famous as DSF itself. In 2010, for example, the Dubai International Jazz Festival was a key component of the festival with a line-up that included the James Taylor Quartet, the Brand New Heavies, David Gray and James Morrison.
That same year, the Gulf Bike Festival was born with a Harley Davidson parade.
In 2012, DSF arguably kicked off the tradition for breaking world records with pyrotechnics when its opening ceremony featured the longest synchronised musical fireworks display that took place over six kilometres.
This spirit to launch new avenues and events shows no sign of slowing either: this year, DSF launched its inaugural TunesDXB festival, with free live music and entertainment planned for 11 locations across the city, featuring Abu Dhabi's very own America's Got Talent contestant Peter Rosalita.
Holding strong during a pandemic
In 2020, while the world was battling Covid-19, DSF played its role to boost tourism in the Emirates. To counter the unsteady travel conditions, hotels and resorts stepped up, launching staycation packages, offering discounts on food, free upgrades and booking flexibility.
“As one of the first few cities in the world to restart the events sector, Dubai is committed to leveraging its festivals and events, such as DSF, to enhance the domestic tourism market,” Issam Kazim, chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), said at the time.
A moving timescale
Today, having Dubai Shopping Festival fall in December, ahead of Christmas, seems natural, but that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, the very first DSF was held in February.
“Dubai Shopping Festival has always aligned itself with the global retail calendar, and has taken place as the autumn/winter sales season begins,” Al Khaja says.
“The festival is now also aligned with the commencement of the school holidays, which is a period when large numbers of international tourists from across the world arrive in Dubai. The festival has also just recently coincided with the World’s Coolest Winter Campaign, which was launched in 2020 in the UAE.
"All of these adjustments came in efforts to refine the offering of the festival to achieve the best possible outcome and results for the retail and tourism sector in Dubai.”
The overarching theme has changed, too. DSF was initially billed as “One World. One Family. One Festival”. “The aim was to treat families of diverse nationalities and family members of all ages to the best shopping and family entertainment in the region,” Al Khaja says.
Since then, however, the theme has shifted to “Celebrate, Spend, Win” and the tagline for the 2021-2022 event, which ends on January 29, is “The World is Here, Let’s Play”, in line with the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Masters%20of%20the%20Air
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Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
BAD%20BOYS%3A%20RIDE%20OR%20DIE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adil%20El%20Arbi%20and%20Bilall%20Fallah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWill%20Smith%2C%20Martin%20Lawrence%2C%20Joe%20Pantoliano%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sri Lanka squad for tri-nation series
Angelo Mathews (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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