DSF 2006-2007, A "world of festivals"

Notes and media contacts

DSF 2006-2007, "World of Festivals"
The Balloon Festival
The magnificent double edition of DSF opens on the morning of December 20 with the launch of mall-wide sales and promotions as well as several events and activities starting simultaneously at various locations throughout the city. The same evening will witness one of the grandest celebrations on earth with the Night Glow spectacle with 60 hot-air balloons illuminating the night sky.
The joint opening of the DSF and Dubai Balloons Festival will surely be a sight to behold especially the Opening Hour Celebration which will culminate in a dazzling display of fireworks from Global Village, the Dubai Creek and the Dubai World Trade Center setting Dubai skies aglow in a scintillating interplay of light and colour. It will be a befitting beginning of a unique shopping and entertainment extravaganza assuring 45 days of non-stop fun that begins on December 20 and runs until February 2, 2007.
The Dubai Balloons Festival thereafter will continue until December 30 at the Global Village with balloons touching dizzying heights and setting the night skies aglow with a breathtaking sight from 4pm to 8pm daily.

World Cultures festivals

World cultures will come together under one roof during the DSF 2006-2007. With cultural events lined up such as Bazaars of the World, at Al Seef Street that recreates the aura and magic of world-renowned traditional souqs of the Middle East including Khan Al Khalili of Egypt, El Madina Souq (Syria), Samsara Souq (Sana) Samareen Souq (Yemen), Samareen Souq (Morocco) and Shah Souq (Iran) showcasing developments of Islamic culture through different periods in history with workshops on crafting, painting, carpet weaving, copper engraving and many more.

Then there is the Carpet Oasis, the biggest carpet market in the region, will bring to the fore the work of artisans from Iran, Middle East, India and the world at large, giving buyers a chance to choose from over 150,000 exquisite hand-made carpets with great prices to boot.

Another mega cultural attraction would be the Global Village. Themed as the "Global Village Redefines the World" this year's event promises to be a spectacular affair. The Global Village will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM for 59 days starting from the 13th of December till the 9th of February

This shop-till-you drop destination is also the venue for souvenir shopping at the Bazaars of the World where shoppers can soak in culture, handicrafts and special offers or stop by the Global Village and discover world culture as you roam the city with over 40 pavilions of the world and shop for curios and handicrafts in their hordes.

Family Entertainment Festival

Then there is much-awaited Family Entertainment Festival offering a slew of debutante events never witnessed in the region before including the internationally acclaimed Canadian act "Quidam" by Cirque du Soleil the world's live entertainment company that makes its debut in the region on January 4 and runs until February 18, 2007 next to Ibn Battuta Mall. Apart from this the festival will also host the House of Talents, one of the star attractions of DSF, which will give talented women a platform to showcase their skills before a discerning audience. The exhibition running from December 24 until February 9, 2007 at Dubai World Trade Centre Hall No. 4 will have products designed and produced by the participants from different fields such as interior design, fashion design, beautification, photography, music, architecture, handicrafts, painting, jewellery design, applied arts, etc.

The Family Entertainment Festival has much more to offer such as the Eid Al Adha celebrations which will include fireworks, carnivals, GCC traditional celebrations and added fun fairs on Al Seef Street, Dubai Festival City and other venues. It will also include the charming DSF Night Souq from December 20 to February 2 at Al Seef Street offering shopping opportunities during the leisurely hours of 7pm to 2am on weekdays and 7pm to 3am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. To add to the festive feel there will be a magnificent display of fireworks daily throughout the DSF at 9pm. Another new attraction to this colourful bouquet is the Dubai Mela, a unique funfair at Zabeel Park which will be held every day from 4pm to 10pm offering fun, frolic and family time.

Arts and Cultural Festivals
The Arts and Cultural Festivals as the name suggests encompasses a raft of artistic and cultural presentations in a bid to keep alive traditional events and rekindle their popularity in contemporary times. These include the popular Fazza Youla Championships to be held at the Global Village from December 16 to February 2 as the facility starts on December 13. Other attractions of this cultural fiesta would be the 6th Arabic Poetry gathering at Al Maktoum Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre as well as Kavi Sammelan and Mushaira (Urdu poetry gathering) at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium of Indian High School. The latter will be held on January 5 from 9pm onwards.

Musical Festival
Music lovers have a lot to look forward to this DSF with an exclusive Musical Festival offering traditional Oriental and Western musical treats. Layali Dubai Concerts to be held at Dubai Airport Expo West Hall will be a great attraction. Musical Play on the Spirit of Christmas takes place on December 21 at Dubai Tennis Stadium from 9pm to 11pm. Also at the same venue would be the Musical Show, the Spirit of Dance on December 28 from 9pm to 11pm. Tosca-Puccini's Opera masterpiece will run from December 20 to January 12 at Dubai Community Theater - Mall of the Emirates from 7.30pm onwards while the Godolphin Ballroom at Emirates Towers will host Con Anima Show - international piano and vocal concert on January 13 at 7.30pm.
Yet another theater operatic event - A Taste of New York is scheduled for 7pm on January 26 at the Ameera Ballroom of Grand Hyatt. A comedy opera - A Night of Bernstein takes place at Dubai Community Theater on February 1 and 2 at 7.30pm. Children's show Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will takes place daily at 8.30pm from December 23 to 30 at Madinat Jumeirah which will also host One Man Star Wars on January 4 and 5, They're Playing our song on January 23-26 and A Classroom Comedy Show from January 30 to February 2 at 8.30pm. Cliff in Dubai - A concert on the court as part of The Here and Now Tour will be hosted by Dubai Aviation Club at Tennis Stadium Centre Court on February 2 at 8.30pm. Entertainment will have no bounds this DSF as a major attraction comes up in the form of Dubai Carnivals Festival offering Dubai Carnivals at different venues in the city and Scenes of the World at the Global Village throughout the DSF.

Dubai Fashion Festival
Fashion aficionados will have a field day with a dedicated Dubai Fashion Festival this time round hosting creations of top international fashion houses. The Fashion Festival will host Dubai Fashion at Madinat Jumeirah's Al Joharah Ballroom from January 8-12 and a very special presentation titled Creations by up and coming regional fashion designers from January 18 to February 1 at BurJuman.

The Sports Festival
From fashion to sport we have it all at the DSF. Make the most of the outdoors and pleasant weather with sporting activities to enthrall one and all. The Sports Festival offers a host of traditional and modern sports to attract the sports lovers. It entails Fazza Diving Championship from December 28 to 30, Fazza Shooting Championship from January 4 to 6 and Fazza Falconry Championship from January 11 to 19. Then there will be Hunting with Dogs from January 25 to 27 and Dubai Extreme Challenge from January 10 to 24 at Jumeirah Beach Park. The Zabeel Park will host Corporate Paintball Shooting Championship and Dubai Football Corporate Cup from January 5 to 25. The other events under this category are Race Zone Units, Urban Ultra on January 19 and Dubai Marathon on January 12 adjacent to DWTC.

DSF Food Festival
Food Connoisseurs will have no reason to complain as the DSF Food Festival offers some delectable treats to them. A unique event titled Food-e-tainment takes place from January 13 to 19 at Zabeel Park. Also a part of the Food Festival will be the third Cyber Food Festival at Dubai Internet City from noon to 3pm daily.
Records Breaking Festival
As if Dubai hasn't broken enough records already, an exclusive Records Breaking Festival comes especially for those with a penchant for records and a soft corner for the Guinness Book. The Dubai Records event takes place on January 30 to February 1 at Al Safa Park inviting all those who would like to witness history in the making. These entail Largest Reading Gathering/Marathon, Longest game of Chinese Whisper, Longest line of Footprints, World's Largest House Key, Largest Buffet of the World comprising 505 dishes, Largest Gathering of General Motors cars, Biggest Mattress, Biggest Gold coin, Largest Photo Exhibition, and many more.

The Heritage Festival
The Heritage Festival will have several cultural and heritage events showcasing glimpses of the past and chapters from the history of UAE at the Dubai Heritage and Diving Village in Al Shindagah. Souvenir hunters can look for some unique collectibles at the traditional souq held there.

Shopping Malls Festival
Dubai's magnificent shopping malls which form an intrinsic part of the DSF have a Shopping Malls Festival and Fringe Festival with world-class performers entertaining the crowds. The main participating malls are Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre, BurJuman, Mercato, Al Ghurair City, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Outlet City.

Raffles and Winnings Festival
Along with shopping and entertainment, winning has always been one of the main attractions of the DSF. Also featuring this time is the Raffles and Winnings Festival that hosts the mega raffle draws such as the daily Lexus Mega Raffle, the daily Grand Nissan Raffle, the Daily Gold Rush and key sponsors offers and raffles all running into millions of dirhams worth of prizes for the shoppers and visitors to try their luck at.
DSF doesn't end at this. It offers several world-class conferences such as the Wellbeing Show on January 18, Intersec 2007 on January 21 and Arab Health Exhibition and Congress on January 29 at the Dubai World Trade Centre as well as a number of humanitarian activities making it indeed A World of Festivals for everyone to be part of.
The combined editions of DSF 2006-2007 will run from December 20, 2006 to February 2, 2007. The 45 days of family fun, entertainment and shopping frenzy will offer retrospective glimpses of the 10 previous editions combining the best of the best and promises to be even bigger and better.

For more details and information please call:

Laila Suhail,Chief Marketing Officer,
Tel: 0097142020272,
Or the DSF Media Center:
Rana Ghazi, PR Manager,
Tel: 009714-2020275,
Ilyas Qureshi, Media Officer,
Tel: 2020509,
Ahlan Dubai Tel: 600545555