It's been 45 days of great shopping and great entertainment. DSF CEO Saeed Al Nabouda tells us how it all went and what to expect from the next edition.
It took more than 10 months of hard graft to put together, endless meetings with people from all over the world and a shopping trolley load of faith!
CEO of the Dubai Shopping Festival, Saeed Al Nabouda, answers our questions on this year's event and gives us a sneak preview about what to expect from the next DSF.
How would you describe this year's DSF?
It has definitely been a long one, but more importantly we were able to include a host of new events and attractions like Cirque du Soleil and the Balloon Festival. We stuck to the theme of "A World of Festivals" by bringing 13 festivals under one umbrella.
Would you say it has been more successful than any other years?
Every previous edition is a parameter, in terms of gauging success. If you were to look at initial figures, we can safely say that this year has been more successful than any other year. However, we at DSF believe that opinions of visitors also count a great deal in ascertaining the success of the shopping festival. We've been receiving a lot of positive feedback.
How much money has been spent?
We invested Dh90 million for this year's DSF.
What feedback have you received from visitors and retailers?
Every year, we strive to provide visitors with the best combination of hassle-free shopping and entertainment. Visitors who come to Dubai every year have mentioned how better venues and international events have made their trip this year a memorable one. Al Seef Street was the only street venue and events were spread across malls and parks providing visitors easy access to venues.
Was the decision to hold the festival for 45 days a positive one?
Definitely, the 45-day edition has had a positive impact on the retail and tourism sector in Dubai. With more events and venues, extending the normal period of DSF was the right thing to do. This way, we were able to attract more visitors over a longer period of time and not rush through the events. Moreover the idea of holding a longer DSF stemmed from this edition being a combined one.
Will it be as long next year or will it go back to being one month?
It will go back to the normal length of one month which we think is long enough.
Did you meet all expectations and would you do anything different next year?
It would be almost impossible to meet all expectations but we aim higher every year and strive to do better.
Loads of business
We’ve had it all — fireworks, festivals, food and fabulous discounts. But now it’s all over for yet another year.
Whether you hit the shops, plays, productions, carnivals, competitions or cultural displays, DSF certainly offered something for everyone.
So how was it for you?
Thai fruit vendor Thananop Yatasaeng said he had definitely reaped the fruits of his labour at this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival.
The 37-year-old said he was astounded by the amount of business he had done at the Global Village.
He said: “I am amazed at the amount of people who have bought fruit from me. It’s wonderful. The atmosphere is very nice and everybody really entered into the spirit of the festival.”
Dried fruit retailers Toffee Korndilok and Sira Nu, both 35, said they had done a storming trade for the past 45 days.
Toffee said: “This is our family business and we have been coming to the DSF for many years. It’s such a great place and it’s good to meet people from all walks of life.”
Although the statistics and figures will not be available for a few weeks, organisers from DSF say they have been very pleased with the festival and say it exceeded all expectations once again.”
The shopping festival will draw to a close with a final ceremony at Zabeel Park tomorrow from 5pm.
