Bigger and better Back-2-School Surprises reach out to a cross-section of people

Tariq Al Qattan, Deputy Head of the Organising Committee of Back-2-School Surprises spoke about his team's commitment to make the week a big success.

He said, "We formed a committee of 10 members about three months before the DSS began. The team was responsible for brainstorming, planning and delegating various duties to ensure a smooth running of the show. Under the directives of the DSS Organising Committee we formed our team and worked towards organising a memorable week following in line with the main theme of DSS and the concept of wholesome family entertainment. Reaching the final stages of executing our plans and what's on paper is no mean task, it involves lot of discussions and meetings. It was a team effort in which each member played a significant role. We consulted with parents, children, teachers and educational institutions to bring out a week with educational and entertaining activities. Our aim is to prepare the children for school after the long vacation and to instil a love of learning among them."

Added Al Qattan, "Right from start we focussed on planning new and innovative activities which have never happened before. We wanted the week to be remembered as a successful, enjoyable week for one and all. To put our plans into action we were supported by our official partners including Abu Dhabi National Bank and Al Sayegh Brothers, main sponsors Road and Transport Authority, New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Al Yousuf LLC, Grand Stores, Dubai Commercial Bank, Al Rawabi, Mohammed Sharif and Brothers Stores, Acer and Khaleej Times as media partners while the other sponsors are Arabian Automobiles Co LLC, National Bank of Dubai, Damas, Al Nukhada Tailoring Group and Emirates Transport.
who stood by us throughout. We thank them for their support."

Said Al Qattan, "We are not just presenting entertaining events but also trying to make them into business opportunities for the youth to benefit. Many youngsters were awarded licences to start their businesses. We invite more and more people to come forward and make the most of the facilities offered to them. We have organised events and activities at several different malls as well as Dubai International Airport, Modhesh Fun City and for the first time ever in the Dubai Department of Economic Development premises.

"A lot of new attractions have been introduced this year which include a panoply of new events in addition to bigger prizes lined up for the winners. Our reach has widened this year in all terms and Back-2-School surprises are being acknowledged as one of the most popular themed weeks of DSS. More companies have come forward to participate this year and our budget is also higher than before," said Al Qattan.

The 10-week long DSS, which opened with Ice Surprises week on June 21, celebrated the Arts Surprises Week, Food Surprises, Adventure Surprises, Cartoon Surprises, Nature Surprises, Knowledge Surprises, Flower Surprises and Heritage Surprises concludes with Back-to-School Surprises on September 1.