As you know, one of the reasons for the attractiveness of Dubai shopping lies in the duty-free zone, where the import tax is only 4%. Here, even elite goods are somewhat cheaper, and with discounts, prices become even more affordable. This is why the festival period is considered the most attractive to visit Dubai.
The Summer Surprises Festival is relatively young. It is considered one of the main shopping and entertainment events in the Gulf region. It has been held since 1998 throughout the month of August, with the participation of 50 shopping centers in the city, and is organized by the Dubai government in cooperation with private companies.
The purpose of the event is simple and clear – to attract foreign tourists to the country during the hottest months of the year. The festival is supported by hotels, providing guests with special rates for accommodation and additional free services. In addition to discounts, shopping malls hold very tempting lotteries during this period: customers with purchases of AED 200 or more get the opportunity to take part in a draw for six luxury cars and shopping vouchers for a total of AED 500,000.
By the way, lottery tickets are not issued right at the checkout of stores, for this you need to keep receipts and after shopping, contact the special service of the shopping center. The drawing itself is usually held after the festival, and the winners are notified of their winnings by mail.
Shopping malls in Dubai are truly comfortable and beautiful cities where you can hide from the summer heat and enjoy a hospitable environment designed to meet the most diverse needs and interests of modern consumer society. All secular and cultural life gradually migrates under the roofs of the breakwaters. The concept is not new, but it is perfected in Dubai.
All the best is accumulated in shopping centers: the world’s largest aquarium, the southernmost and only indoor ski resort, the highest observation deck, etc.
For Dubai residents, visiting the malls is a traditional family event for the whole day, and most often includes outdoor activities in one of the entertainment facilities, shopping, and lunch in one of the restaurants of the mega-complex.
For tourists who want to spend an interesting day in Dubai approximately as compactly and as efficiently as possible, we can safely recommend going to the Dubai Mall, which is located in the most prestigious area of Downtown Burj Khalifa.
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It is the ideal venue for the Dubai Festivals and the world’s largest shopping and entertainment center, setting several Guinness World Records at once.
Now about the main thing – in the Dubai Mall there are more than 1200 stores of all kinds and brands. The most sensible solution would be – a pre-thought-out shopping list and well-built logistics of movements, based on the plan of the shopping mall. If you do not want to wind up kilometers in the galleries of boutiques, you can order a small car with a driver who, for a fee, will take customers around the mall.
But if you focus on locally produced goods and souvenirs, you can limit yourself to visiting the Gold Center of Dubai Mall – the largest indoor gold market in the East with 220 jewelry stores.
Bargaining in Dubai can and should be everywhere! Unlike other countries of the Muslim world, this is done quite elegantly here and is a pleasure for both the seller and the buyer.
The personal shopper service is not new, and today it is quite widely in demand in many countries of consumer abundance.
We are talking about professional consultants who help wealthy shoppers navigate an unfamiliar shopping environment and manage their budgets wisely.
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Shoppers have a great command of style, they seriously study the imageology and the range of brand stores, track prices, sales, and collections. In a word, they swim in a huge trade infrastructure like fish in water.
This service is for people who love the comfort and royal service, are not used to bargaining, and are aiming to spend a lot of money!
Such clients do not go shopping at all, but enjoy the process, sitting in an upholstered armchair in a separate boudoir and choose things from those that are brought to them by nimble consultants from different brand boutiques. To do this, you need to reserve the time of your visit to a particular shopping center in advance, and upon arrival inform the consultants of your wishes and sizes. This service is free and is provided to all “serious people”.
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On your way back, we advise you to leave early for the airport, so you will have more time for your final shopping in DUTY-FREE Dubai.
Its shopping area is considered one of the largest in the world (7,000 sq.m.) and is occupied by shops of the most famous world and Arab manufacturers, where they sell gift sets of oriental sweets, spices, high-quality souvenirs, perfumes, and cosmetics, jewelry, appliances, leather goods, toys, etc.
The prices are fixed here, but due to the very low import duties, the value of the imported goods can be even lower than the original in the country.
