A package of food surprises await DSS visitors

The Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, which organises the Food Surprises Week from July 6-12, is preparing a special week for the event's visitors with daily competitions to be held at Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta Mall, BurJuman and Deira City Centre, promising visitors a fun-filled week.

Unfolding the spectacular line up of activities Marwan Juma Bin Bayat, Events Manager, DTCM and Head of the Organising Committee of the Food Surprises Week, said the Dubai Summer Surprises is vital in expediting tourism to the city and invigorating business during the lean summer spell.

"The Food Surprises theme week that comes under the DTCM, this year, has an entire array of events and exciting activities that contribute towards making the DSS a fun filled event this year too."

"Twenty-four hotels both four and five-stars along with 600 international professional chefs that excel in gourmet skills such as cooking, food decoration and fruit, ice and butter sculptures are to participate in the event," Bin Bayat said.

He announced that The Food Surprises that is budgeted at Dh4 million, will begin with a spectacular opening ceremony. High tech sound, light and laser will animate an eight-minute cartoon show on international cuisine.

Commenting on the invaluable role played by the sponsors in planning and hosting special events for contributing towards the promotional activities for the shows, Bin Byat said, "It is only due to the support of the sponsors that such a detailed programme could have been made possible. I would like to express my gratitude to every one of the sponsors who is assisting in making the Food Surprises such a fun filled week for families and children in particular."

According to Bin Byat an exhaustive promotional campaign will begin a week before the Food week, through DTCM's network of offices in 15 countries, and its information offices in shopping malls and vital areas in Dubai, to answer queries of visitors and give them all the information they need. A booklet containing all information about the week's various events and activities and the details of raffles and draws will be distributed soon.

"Millions of visitors are now making Dubai a part of their holiday itinerary in summer. The Food Surprises Week in the past has become very popular amongst many and it results in attracting million of visitors and tourists every year, he added.

Unveiling the details of the Food Week Programme, Ayesha Mohammad Bin Tayyib, Coordinator of the Organising Committee of the Food Surprises Week, said "Children are a big focus group in this year's Food Surprises Week. We have planned an exciting agenda of fun and edutainment activities that focus on children which are an important target group of the DSS. Four plays will be performed and staged at shopping malls in association with other activities such as painting, colouring and preparing some foods."

Nestle is to host shows on Asian foods, while Sun Resort will be responsible for the Arabic food. There is a whole section devoted to European cuisine as well and visitors will be able to sample all three and on occasion also be taught how to prepare them all. Abela Group in collaboration with the Dubai Higher Colleges of Technology for Women will present shows on how to prepare healthy food and how to preserve food in a proper way.

Giving a thought to the community The Jumeriah Group will prepare 3,300 cakes. A quarter of its sales proceeds will be donated to charity organisations. The Emirates Culinary Guild will honor all the skilled chefs on the last day of the Foods Surprises Week.

"We at DTCM have enjoyed our association with the Food Week since the inception of DSS. It has become a vital part of our activities towards ensuring that we promote Dubai as an exciting tourism destination throughout the world," said Ayehsa.