Dubai Shopping Festival 2003 has unveiled an exciting mix of more than 300 events activities, including events from the field of children's entertainment shows, art and music, shopping, raffles, sports, fashion and educational activities.
The calendar of events was announced by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Department of Civil Aviation, chairman of Emirates airline and chairman of the DSF Supreme Committee, at a press conference held at Mercato Mall. Releasing the calendar, Sheikh Ahmed indicated that Dubai Shopping Festival has several new inclusions, the most prominent one being the change in the date - January 15 to February 15, 2003. "For the third year, the Festival is being organised on the theme of One World, One Family, One Festival, illustrating the success of the theme. The theme itself is very flexible, as it provides enough room for new ideas and events. Barring the few major events like Global Village, Carpet Oasis and the Fireworks, in its eighth year, DSF will offer creative and innovative events at various venues," Sheikh Ahmed said. This year, besides the Global Village, two new major events make their appearance on the DSF calendar - the Night Souq and the DSF Desert Camp. The Night Souq will be the new oasis for shopping lovers. In a surprising format, this concept will extend shopping hours to the wee hours of the morning and provide shopping lovers an opportunity to shop for high quality brands at a relaxed time at discounted prices. The Night Souq located at Al Seef Street will open from 10pm - 3am. The Desert Camp, a new tourism concept will be the new home for families who love the thrill of adventure, while discovering the beauty of the desert. The camp will comprise of 42 tents located near the Mushrif Park, and families can rent these tents for stay. DSF has achieved global success due to the international stature of its events. Continuing this trend, Dubai will live up to its international fame by being equal to a Paris or Milan by hosting the Dubai Haute Couture Week. During this week, some of the best names in international fashion will be hosted in Dubai. Dubai Media City will host 80 jazz musicians in the first Jazz festival being organised in any Arab country. Club Nokia beat machine will host the Disco Queen, platinum and Grammy Award singer, Gloria Gaynor as she makes her dramatic comeback on the international scene. During Eid Al Adha, the city will be transformed into a giant carnival and every DSF visitor can participate in a chain of celebrations being organised at the Creek Park. Popular events like the Global Village will be presented again with several new developments and the addition of new pavilions. The seminars and lectures calendar will also be jam-packed. Layali Dubai, an event we introduced last year, will feature many more superstars from the Arab world. The Heritage and Diving Village will continue to be a major attraction of Dubai Shopping Festival by presenting the charming history of UAE in its unique manner. There will be several entertainment activities for children. The Sports Calendar will feature several international celebrities, and the Children's City will be one of the major attractions of this year. Delightful streets Another new aspect of the event will be the conversion of Sheikh Zayed Road into one of the DSF main streets, hosting several of its events. Given the fact that DSF begins with the Spring Holidays, our expectations of visitor turnout are very high. After the inclusion of Sheikh Zayed Road, we would be able to host several visitors at the various DSF main streets. The Al Seef Street will feature the Al Seef Market, a colorful vegetable and fruits market and an open-air cinema 'Bollywood to Hollywood' which will show a selection of mass appeal films to an audience of 3000 people everyday. Al Riqqa Street will host African Circus and will also feature the Fun Fair Ground, a family entertainment area for children. Al Muraqqabat will feature the unique, Mexican Bull Fight show, an exciting new entrant to the calendar of events. Al Dhiyafah Street will be completely dedicated to the cause of sports with a Giant Games Zone. More spectacular fireworks will greet visitors and residents during Dubai Shopping Festival, offering one display every night, and special shows on weekends. A total of 90 shows are being planned during Dubai Shopping Festival 2003. The Global Village is one of the most important venues for the presentation of the One World, One Family, One Festival theme of DSF, as it brings together diverse cultures and societies to one location. Several new facilities will be provided at the Global Village, right from the beginning of the event on January 15. The Carpet and Souvenir's Oasis 2003, taking place at the Airport Expo Dubai promises a rich collection of carpets drawn from the best carpet producing countries in the world, including Iraq, Uzbekistan, China, Turkmenistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and the UAE. This DSF, the Oasis will feature 77 pavilions. DSF 2003 will see an extended array of sporting activities, which will appeal to a cross section of the visitors and guests of Dubai Shopping Festival. Appealing to all members of the family, these sports events and activities, will truly reflect the theme 'One World, One Family, One Festival'. Over 50 championships will be organized on regional and international level. These championships will be organized in the following fields Ice Hockey, Football, Endurance Race, show jumping, Mini Soccer and Judo. The popular Dubai City of Gold promotion will once again offer glittering prizes to shoppers.