Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) announced the new dates for its retail events taking place throughout the rest of 2022, following the UAE’s recent change in weekends to Saturday and Sunday. The 2022 Retail Calendar is packed with a total of 17 festivals including citywide events, activations and experiences designed to make Dubai one of the best places in the world to live, work and visit. The line-up includes the upcoming Spring and Summer collection launch, Ramadan in Dubai and Eid in Dubai, Dubai Food Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Dubai Fitness Challenge and much more.
The announcement follows the success of the 27th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival – the world’s longest running retail festival – which took place from 15 December 2021 to 30 January 2022. That success is largely due to the partners and sponsors who play a vital role in amplifying the city’s retail scene with a wide range of incredible deals, innovative events, world-class entertainment and life-changing prizes. Commenting on the long-standing partnership between DFRE and its strategic partners and key sponsors, Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said: “The ongoing success of Dubai Shopping Festival and our wider retail calendar is testament to the unwavering support we receive year after year from our partners and sponsors. DSF has now grown into an internationally acclaimed event that has raised the profile of Dubai as one of the best places to live in, work in and visit and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone involved in making the 27th edition truly memorable. As we look ahead to the rest of the year, we have aligned our calendar of retail events to the new weekend dates in the UAE to support sustainable growth across the retail sector. This will also help us capitalise on the increased footfall we anticipate into Dubai as a result of aligning our calendar with that of many of our key inbound markets.”
New dates for Dubai’s Retail Calendar
The 2022 Retail Calendar features upcoming festivals and events on the following dates, updated to reflect the change in weekends:
Dubai’s malls, retail stores and attractions are all continuing to adhere to stringent COVID-19 health and safety protocols issued by public health authorities, while taking all the necessary precautions to keep visitors and shoppers safe and at ease.
A number of the partners and sponsors also took the opportunity to reflect \on the impact of DSF on their own businesses:
Nakheel
Omar Khoory, Chief Assets Officer at Nakheel said: “We are pleased to wrap up another successful edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, the region’s longest running retail event. Every year, Nakheel leverages Dubai’s annual retail calendar to find new ways to connect its retailers with their customers. With the participation of The Pointe, Ibn Battuta Mall, Nakheel Mall and Souk Al Marfa, we can proudly say that we have delivered compelling and dynamic retail experiences that attracted many visitors to our destinations and allowed us to engage with them in new ways. We look forward to the upcoming editions of this highly anticipated festival and we will continue to capitalise on opportunities that will help us forge stronger connections with our customers.”
Mercato
Nisreen Boustani, PR & Corporate Communications Manager of Mercato and Town Centre Jumeirah said: “Mercato has been a strategic partner of DSF since its inception and we continue to extend our support to initiatives by DFRE that establish Dubai as a global business and tourism hub. Dubai Shopping Festival attracts millions of visitors around the world and highlights Dubai as a global hub for shopping, entertainment and leisure.
The wonderful array of European street style live entertainment shows, in-mall promotions and cash prizes during DSF played a major role in attracting tourists and local residents to benefit from the considerable price reductions across most stores in Mercato and Town Centre Jumeirah.
We witnessed robust activity with visitors making the most of the shopping extravaganza. DSF is a significant contributor to Dubai’s retail and tourism economy and each year we strive to bring new retail and entertainment offerings to make the festival memorable for families. We have noticed a positive increase in footfall in both malls – recording 35%+ increases; and a +45% uplift in both malls’ sales figures as well.”
Al Futtaim
Timothy G. Earnest, Group Director, Al-Futtaim Malls said: “At Al-Futtaim Malls, our goal is to create exceptional, fulfilling experiences for shoppers every day. The Dubai Shopping Festival is always an extraordinary time for the whole city, and this year was no exception. As part of our DSF activations at our two malls in the UAE, Dubai Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza in Jebel Ali, visitors were able to participate in exciting events and save big, all while enjoying a wide range of dining and entertainment options. Along with the influx of tourists to the UAE for Expo 2020, DSF helped contribute to increased footfall across our destinations. We look forward to hosting shoppers at next year’s DSF as we continue to support the retail industry and contribute to accelerating its growth.”
AWR
Michel Ayat, CEO of AWR Automotive, said: “The progress that Dubai has experienced over the past two years under the guidance of its wise leadership paved the path towards our current state of recovery. Dubai Shopping Festival, the highly anticipated annual shopping event, consolidates the prestigious global position of the emirate at a time during which the economy is on a growth trajectory boosted by government initiatives. Additionally, customer confidence is at its highest level in the last 10 years, reflected in the increased demand for our brands and through the encouraging 15% increase in enquiries and visits across our digital and physical touchpoints.
“Crossovers and SUVs maintain their leading market position, with the Nissan Kicks, X-Trail and X-Terra leading the growth this year compared to 2021. Picking up on the momentum that commenced in the previous year, all our brands, Nissan, Renault and INFINITI have a robust plan to strengthen their respective line-ups with the introduction of new models in the coming 12 – 15 months.”
Idealz
Jad Toubayly, Founder & CEO at Idealz, said: “The Dubai Shopping Festival has become a globally recognized trademark and its 27th edition continues to elevate the Dubai brand. It has also played a key role in contributing to the growth of the overall retail industry. Over the years, raffle draws have spiked a keen interest amongst DSF shoppers and having digitalized this proposition, we at Idealz are thrilled that our partnership with DFRE has opened up the festival to shoppers in the UAE and all over the world from the comfort of their homes.This DSF, Idealz awarded over AED7 million worth of prizes to over 200 winners from over 30 different nationalities. Citizens from over 150 different countries participated in Idealz campaigns during the festival and there are still two mega prizes up for grabs for a very limited time period; the DSF Grand Prize of a one-bedroom luxury apartment or AED1,000,000 cash and the DSF Mega Cash Prize of AED750,000 cash.”
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