Visa International sponsors Dubai Shopping Festival for 11th consecutive year

The DSF will be held in the New Year from January 4th to February 4th. The announcement of Visa's renewed support for DSF was made yesterday by Kamran Siddiqi, General Manager for Visa International Middle East.

Siddiqi said,

"Visa International was the first global organisation to support the Dubai Shopping Festival when this landmark event was first launched in 1995 and we are proud and honoured to be able to continue our association with this festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Dubai every year. The Dubai Shopping Festival has been instrumental in re-defining the commercial life of this region and DSF has been the paradigm for all the many consumer events that have become part of the burgeoning commercial life of the GCC.'

He added, 'With every succeeding year Visa has brought its world leading expertise to DSF, introducing the innovative technologies and services in cooperation with its member banks in order to support the success of the event and bring in the convenience of global acceptance, enhanced security and accessibility to immediate credit to all shoppers while offering merchants speed and security, and better management of cash flow, inventory and financial planning due to swift bank payment."

Siddiqi revealed that this year the Dubai Shopping Festival will be the platform from which Visa International will launch its new brand identity. "Visa's new brand mark is now live," he said.

"As one of the world's most recognized brands, the change has been brought about to reflect the evolving nature of the organisation. Following years of product diversification, the Visa brand has now been revitalised with a clear consistent contemporary approach, addressing the dynamic nature of the payment industry. We feel DSF is the perfect place to reveal our new brand to the GCC ."

Siddiqi added that new cards will have a unique dove hologram magnetic stripe that provides enhanced security for Visa card holders.

According to Siddiqi, Visa will bring many exciting new offers and consumer initiatives at DSF 2006 through its member banks and Visa acceptance merchants. "The DSF continues to be Dubai's premier consumer celebration and, as always, our aim is to provide shoppers with the most exciting opportunities throughout the course of the Festival that will add to the anticipation, suspense and overall fun."

The Dubai Shopping Festival has grown by 112% in international visitors and by around 170% in spending between 1995 and 2004. DSF 2005, registered a total visitor participation of a record 3.3 million and an overall expenditure of 6.67 billion, an increase of 6% and 15% is expected respectively.

Saeed Al Nabooda, Dubai Shopping Festival CEO, said: "Visa International's support for the first Dubai Shopping Festival was a significant contribution to the initial success of DSF and Visa's continued support of and active participation in the Festival has brought so many benefits to consumers from across the GCC over the years. We are delighted to have Visa International as part of the DSF family for our eleventh landmark year. We look forward to a long association and a bright future."