The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will be marketed as a “fifth season” of the year in 2008, according to a statement form the organisers.
The Fifth Season was designed to complement the other four seasons of the year, the statement said. The Fifth Season will descend on the city of Dubai to fill the city with festivities and focus on shopping, winning, and family entertainment.
“We want to be more focused on the shopping aspect. We have planned several initiatives that will be implemented in two to three years aiming to enhance the shopping experience and take it to a new dimension,” DSF chief operating officer Ibrahim Saleh said.
However, the new theme will not supersede the festival’s global theme of “One World. One Family. One Festival”, which will be predominant in marketing for the event.
“Additionally, according to the new strategy, the private sector will be responsible for organising more than 70 per cent of the entertainment events while the DSF Office will play a pivotal role in planning, marketing, and promoting these events,” added Saleh.
Events for DSF 2008 are generally classified into Signature events, Weekend Packages, Global Village Events, and numerous other attractions.
Signature events consist of the opening ceremony, Dubai Fashion, Food Festival, Dubai Carnivals, World Records, Fireworks Festival, Music Festival, and the Closing ceremony. Each of these events is hugely popular among regular DSF visitors with numerous new additions slated for DSF 2008.
Weekend Packages aim to provide the maximum entertainment possibilities by organising a major event highlight during the weekends between Thursdays and Saturdays making it convenient and attractive for visiting and resident families to enjoy a fun-packed weekend in Dubai.
Global Village Events consists of all events being organised in Global Village such as the House of Talents, a platform for gifted women to showcase their talents and skills; and Bazaars of the World that features the best of souqs from around the world.
An exciting addition to DSF 2008 is a shopping extravaganza called Shopping Events. In line with the Fifth Season theme, various shopping related events and promotions will be organised to increase the excitement of shopping for the finest goods at the best prices. Additionally, Al Seef Street, a favoured DSF destination among visitors, will provide an exceptional combination of shopping and entertainment.