DEPE pays tribute to private sector for continued success of Dubai Shopping Festival

Reflecting on the long-standing partnership between DEPE and its Strategic Partners, Key Sponsors and participating malls ahead of the 18th edition of DSF, which gets underway on 3rd January, HE Laila Mohd Suhail, CEO of DEPE, said, "In the new year, DEPE is committed to supporting all those players in the private sector who continue to play a pivotal role in helping Dubai maintain its position as one of the best shopping and tourism destinations in the world."

"As a new year dawns, we are delighted to welcome back all our partners in the private sector who have been keen to support the festivals and events organized by DEPE every year starting with the Dubai Shopping Festival, and we also are overwhelmed by the response from a large number of partners who are eager to join us and extend their support to the 18th edition of the festival," she added.

"The private sector is not only a key player behind Dubai's growth but also the engine that ensures the smooth and successful running of the Dubai Shopping Festival and other initiatives every year. We are truly grateful to the private sector for its enormous contribution and their wonderful enthusiasm and eagerness to keep up their support to such initiatives that have a positive impact on Dubai's economy. In return we can assure our fullest cooperation and support in whatever way we could to all those who have helped us to make Dubai such a world famous destination," said Ms. Suhail.

She said, "The retail and events sector are pillars of Dubai's economy and this is evident by the recently released official statistics that show DSF 2012 injected Dhs14.7bn into Dubai's economy. Further, she stressed that it was the strong trust and collaboration between the government and private sector that has helped Dubai win the 'World Festival and Event City' award from the International Festival and Events Association (IFEA) for two consecutive years."

Commenting on the DSF 2012 results, Ibrahim Saleh, Festivals Coordinator General, DEPE, said, "Year after year, Dubai Shopping Festival proves its importance as a global event to the Emirate of Dubai, and it has raised the bar of excellence for the festivals and events industry to new heights, and cemented Dubai's leadership in this field. This would have not been possible without the commitment of our stakeholders, especially our devoted supporters from the private sector. We are also privileged to have the backing of the main national entities in Dubai right from the first edition of DSF."

Mr. Saleh gave examples of how a true partnership evolves across the years, pointing out to the cooperation with Al Zarooni Group to illuminate the skies of Dubai with daily fireworks during DSF, and the daily raffle draws being held in collaboration with AW Rostamani Group and the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group that can change people's lives, in addition to cooperating with Al Futtaim Group to host many grand events at the Festival Promenade, and so forth.

"DSF has the ability to bring people together, and we will make sure that this trend continues in the future," he concluded.

Emirates Airline
"Emirates has been a leading sponsor of the Dubai Shopping Festival since the event's inception. Throughout the years, DSF has gone from strength to strength, gaining increased global recognition to become one of the world's premier shopping events. Emirates carries thousands of international visitors to Dubai each year to take part in the shopping and leisure festivities and to enjoy the diverse experiences Dubai has to offer as a destination," said Sheikh Majid Al Mulla, Emirates' Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran.

"As a major contributor to the Dubai economy at this time of year this renowned festival provides Emirates with an opportunity, in our capacity as the Official Carrier, to share in the interests of our customers and gives us another platform from which to help support an important commercial initiative in the region," Sheikh Majid added.

Emaar Malls Group - The Dubai Mall
Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, "Emaar Malls Group is a Strategic Partner of Dubai Events & Promotions Establishment, and has been associated with Dubai Shopping Festival since our inception. As the region's most anticipated retail and entertainment extravaganza, DSF activities are central to our visitor engagement initiatives, and our partnership highlights our commitment to support the retail and tourism sectors of Dubai, which contribute significantly to the economy. We recorded strong visitor arrival during DSF 2012, and we are confident of surpassing it next year, backed by Dubai's strong credentials as the region's tourism and retail hub. DSF serves as a strong catalyst to boosting retail and tourism, and we will continue to partner with the event in association with our retailers and by hosting a wide array of activities that appeal to our visitors from around the world."

Dubai World Trade Centre
Ahmed Alkhaja, DWTC Vice President- Venues, said, "We are pleased to participate in sponsoring the 18th edition of DSF through our long term strategic partnership with DEPE. DSF is in line with our vision to reinforce Dubai's position as a leading destination in hosting and organizing international events, fairs, and exhibitions to attract more visitors and tourist from all round the world."

"DWTC will continue its support to DSF and is committed to providing high quality facilities and services to host different events. In fact, we will be hosting the Carpet and Arts Oasis, one of the main events of DSF 2013, which will show rare and unique handmade carpets from different countries in the world," he added.

Majid Al Futtaim Properties
Fuad Al Najjar, Senior Director - Asset Management, Shopping Malls from Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said, "Carrying on the momentum of the strong winter shopping season, Dubai Shopping Festival 2012 injected a positive boost to the retail year and setting a healthy trend for one of the most successful years to-date in terms of performance."

"This year marks the 18th year that Majid Al Futtaim Properties has supported the Dubai Events & Promotions Establishment (DEPE), and we are pleased to once again confirm our commitment as a Strategic Partner for Dubai Shopping Festival 2013. Together, our three flagship malls: Deira City Centre, Mirdif City Centre and Mall of the Emirates look forward to joining hands and bringing out the best of what Dubai truly has to offer including one of the world's best shopping experiences and a new world of entertainment that will create lasting memories," he added.

Paris Gallery Group
Mr. Mohammed A. R. Al Fahim, CEO of Paris Gallery Group, said, "Paris Gallery is deeply honored to partner with DEPE every year to promote the beautiful face of Dubai, its innovative and pioneering spirit, and the promise it holds for people from all parts of the world who wish to live and do business here. All this couldn't be possible without the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President of UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who is the driving force behind Dubai's continued success story. We salute his enthusiasm, passion, and spirit. And Paris Gallery as a private company is committed to support the vision and mission of this nation, and is making every effort to highlight Dubai as the most desirable tourist and business destination, regionally and internationally."

Mr. Al Fahim added, "The 2012 DSF was very successful, in terms of business and the opportunities it opened up for us. It set the stage for a very successful year. We showcased our unique and exclusive luxury products to a wide range of customers from all parts of the globe. People got to taste the luxurious lifestyle of Dubai, and experienced the grandeur of this ever-growing amazing city. We remain highly optimistic about DSF 2013, knowing for sure that it will turn out to be the best DSF that we have had so far. We are looking forward to it with great expectations."

ENOC
Noaman Al Saleh, Media Relations & CSR Manager, ENOC, said, "ENOC has been an active supporter of the Dubai Shopping Festival since its inception, and is a strategic partner of Dubai Events & Promotions Establishments supporting various initiatives aimed at strengthening the city's reputation as the region's retail and tourism hub. We were privileged to extend our partnership to DSF 2012, which recorded an overwhelming response from customers to the various initiatives we had undertaken during the month-long shopping and entertainment extravaganza. Our association with DSF enables us to highlight our commitment to supporting the city's economic growth, make a difference to the community through the raffle draws, and raise the benchmark on unparalleled customer service while strengthening our brand reputation among residents and international visitors."

AW Rostamani Group
Michel Ayat, CEO of Arabian Automobiles (flagship company of AW Rostamani and exclusive distributor of Nissan, Infiniti and Renault in Dubai and the Northern Emirates), said, "Arabian Automobiles has been a strategic partner of the Dubai Shopping Festival since its inception, having had the good fortune to see it get bigger and better every year."

"The Dubai Shopping Festival has consistently proven to deliver a month of high sales and as a result, we work towards improving our DSF offerings every year. A considerable percentage of our sales in 2012 can be attributed to the Dubai Shopping Festival, and we expect to see similar sales figures in this edition of the festival. We thank the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) for its continued efforts to help increase sales for businesses during the festival period," he added.

Dubai Duty Free
Commenting on Dubai Duty Free's sponsorship of Dubai Shopping Festival, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, said, "We are very proud to be involved in the Dubai Shopping Festival for many years now as a Strategic Partner. This event has been a driving force in attracting tourists and establishing Dubai as a business and holiday destination, and next year more than ever promises to be the best yet. We look forward to working with the organisers in enhancing our sponsorship during what is a busy travel period at Dubai International Airport."

Al Futtaim Group - Dubai Festival City Mall
Bruce von Kaufmann - Assistant General Manager - Dubai Festival City Mall , said, "As a dedicated and committed Dubai Shopping Festival sponsor, Dubai Festival City Mall has played an important role in the evolution of this annual event, which has helped Dubai establish itself as an international leisure, tourism, shopping and entertainment destination. This year's 'Dubai at its Best' theme is highly emotional and designed to create a deep long-lasting bond between the people, who live in Dubai and those who visit Dubai for its numerous attractions during DSF. One of the latest additions to these attractions is Dubai Festival City Mall's new 'Light and Water Show' which will leave an indelible memory on our visitors for its spectacular sights, laser lights, fire effects and sounds using as its backdrop the unique canvas of Dubai's skyline."

Al Zarooni - Mercato
We are proud to be a Strategic Partner of DEPE again in 2013 and look forward to working together to promote Dubai and the various promotions and events throughout the year. Having worked closely with the DEPE team over the years, we always strive to meet and exceed expectations of residents and visitors to Dubai.

We look forward to kick-starting the New Year with DSF, followed by a calendar of exciting and enjoyable events which really do bring out the very best of Dubai", said Charlotte Ferry, Marketing and Events Manager, Mercato and Town Centre Jumeirah.

Emirates NBD
"Dubai has successfully established itself as a retail destination of choice both internationally and across the region, and is home to one of the largest collections of leading consumer brands," said Saif Al Mansoori, Deputy Head - Group Marketing and Branding, Emirates NBD.

"The Emirate's position in the global retail sector has been further strengthened by the continued success of the annual Dubai Shopping Festival. Emirates NBD is pleased to once again sponsor the DSF, as it is in line with our objectives to support community-related initiatives that also contribute significantly to the economy of the UAE," he added.

Visa
Karim Beg, Visa's Head of Regional Marketing for MENA, "Visa was proud to have played its part in helping the 17th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival to be such a great success. Spending was on the increase and Visa achieved an amazing 22% year on year growth during DSF 2012, with inbound card spend totaling over $497m compared to $406m during DSF 2011. Card holders from Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom were the top spending countries - with each showing significant increases in spend compared to DSF 2011."

"We are very proud of our long association with DSF and delighted to be extending our commitment to the local community once again through our sponsorship of DSF 2013 and offering shoppers a convenient, secure and reliable payment platform. This DSF, we will roll out our biggest ever campaign to mark the 18th year of our partnership with the shopping extravaganza and offer rewarding lifestyle experiences for our card holders," he added.