The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) has announced the dates for Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises in 2011. DEPE said in a statement that this move would allow residents, regional and international tourists, and travel and tour entities to make the most of the festivals and attractions.
Dubai Shopping Festival will be held for 32 days from January 20 to February 20 while Dubai Summer Surprises will begin on June 22 and go on for 39 days till July 31. "The dates for the DEPE festivals were announced as part of our efforts to allow residents and regional and international visitors to plan their holidays. This announcement will also help tour and travel entities to create special travel packages and promote these attractions and Dubai in a better and effective way. Numerous considerations affecting went into deciding the dates including local and regional school holidays, the month of Ramadan, and peak tourist inflow periods," said DEPE.
Sectors such as retail, hospitality, and sub-sectors connected to the tourism industry are expected to benefit immensely from the announcement. Around 6000 retail outlets were part of DSF and DSS 2010 and international and regional retail brands will now have the opportunity to plan promotions in advance. DEPE organizes DSF, DSS, and 'Eid in Dubai' – three major annual events in Dubai that have gained huge popularity on an international level. These events impact the community of the emirate both socially and economically and have played a significant role in positioning Dubai as a leading travel, leisure, and commerce destination in the Middle East.
Dubai Shopping Festival was launched in 1996 and is one of the well-known shopping and entertainment festivals in the world today. The festival saw a visitor turnout of 3.35 million and a consumer spending of AED 9.8 billion in 2009.
Dubai Summer Surprises, launched in 1998, is the biggest summer event held in the Middle East today. The event attracted 2.2 million visitors and registered a consumer spending of AED 3.37 billion.
'Eid in Dubai' was launched in 2008 with the aim of celebrating the spirit of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha by involving multi-cultural nationalities and organizing festivities during both Eids.
