Dubai shopping bonanza set to kick off in March

DSF promises world’s best brands at the world’s lowest prices through over 2,500 outlets offering goods and services ranging from the latest in haute couture and perfumes to gold and jewellery.

To make the visa processing simpler for Indian visitors, DSF has announced a new scheme `Visa for Visa’ that allows Indian travellers holding an international visa card to obtain visas for Dubai to enjoy the mega event. "Once the documents are found to be in order, the Dubai visa will be granted within 72 hours with Emirates becoming the visa sponsor," Nabil Sultan, Emirates, general manager for India and Nepal said.

The calendar of events was recently announced in Dubai by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Department of Civil Aviation, Chairman of Emirates Airlines and Chairman of the DSF supreme committee. Following an extensive review under the direction of General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Defence Minister of UAE, DSF has got a facelift.

"We have been getting an increasing number of Indian visitors since the start of the during DSF five years ago. This year the line-up of prizes is much bigger and include holidays to world destinations. Apart from the best shopping bargains in the world and top-class entertainment, the biggest attractions of DSF 2001 will be the daily raffle offering a fabulous prize of Lexus GS300, a Lexus 470 4-wheel drive and $36,000 scholarship for school children on each day of the festival," said Hussain Ali Lootah, chief executive officer of DSF.

The main highlight of the sporting events during DSF would be the $15 mn Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race, which will take place at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on March 24. The Dubai Desert Classic will be held at the Emirates Golf Course on March 2.

Giving details of accommodation available in Dubai, Lootah said "there are more than 18,600 rooms in 254 hotels of different categories. Besides, over 125 hotels apartments offer 6,550 furnished apartments ideal for large families. Most of the hotels also offer a rebate of 40 per cent on ordinary rooms as well as special offer for families."

In addition to the traditional Gulf markets, the festival is now aiming at new markets including Australia, Hong Kong, Germany and Japan that have shown an overwhelming interest in Dubai in general and DSF in particular. One of the key states of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has emerged as the booming trading and financial centres, which has the highest per capital income in the world after the United States, Luxembourg and Switzerland.