dubai shopping festival , dsf, information and travel guide

Dubai - Cosmopolitan, progressive and sophisticated. Member State of the Federation of Emirates, the United Arab Emirates. Business and tourism hub for the region, bridge between the east and west - trading and re-export centre, busy harbour and bustling port, duty free Mecca, shopper's delight and traveller's Xanadu.

The gateway to Dubai is the Dubai International Airport. Its twin terminals handle more than 12 million passengers annually. 70 international airlines fly into Dubai. Facilities at the airport include car rentals, hotel reservations, cash exchange, banking and the ultimate Dubai attraction - Duty Free Shops.

Most airlines flying into Dubai are introducing additional flights and offering competitive fares and packages for the duration of the Dubai Shopping Festival - discounted fares, attractive hotel packages, tours and transport services.

The Visit Visa, which is valid for 60 days and renewable for a total stay of up to 90 days, requires sponsorship of UAE resident, licensed UAE company or hotel. The Tourist Visa is valid for 30 days, is non-renewable and requires the sponsorship of hotels and tour operators. A non-renewable Entry Service Visa is issued for 14 days, exclusive of arrival and departure days. It requires the sponsorship of companies or hotels licensed to operate within the UAE.
Detailed information available at the official website - www.dubaitourism.co.ae

Especially for Indians - Online facility for Visas for Dubai courtesy the Emirates Airlines. The facility is only applicable to Dubai bound passengers travelling by the Emirates Airlines. Emirates has also tied-up with VFS to set up the Dubai Visa Processing Centre (DVPC) in India to assist its passengers in obtaining a Visit Visa or 96 Hour Visa to Dubai. Processed within 3 working days, the applications will not not require a sponsor in Dubai. Visit Visa applicants will be issued an electronic visa, which means the holder can proceed directly to Immigration for rapid clearance. Check out www.emiratesindia.com.

Extensive range of accommodation to choose from - complete with world-class services and facilities. Hotels include some of the most luxurious properties anywhere in the world including the breathtaking 7 star Burj Al Arab and deluxe hotels. Fully furnished hotel apartments are the perfect option for families or for longer stopovers. These can be rented on weekly/monthly/yearly basis.

Making its first appearance at the DSF 2003 is The Desert Camp, a 42 tent township at Mushrif Park - a whole new experience for those who love the outdoors.

In the ' shopping capital of the world'? Shopping, certainly. More shopping malls and souks per square metre than anywhere else - stacked with the best electronics, designer jewellery, clothes, carpets, gold, gold and gold.

What else? Parachuting, sandsurfing, wadi-bashing, motocross, skydiving, scuba diving, golf, tennis, sailing and more and more and more... Street shows, theatre, concerts, mega entertainment, musical evenings, dance performances, circus, fireworks.

Dubai Shopping Festival - Where the shop till you drop syndrome is commonplace. Where glittering gold, shimmering silks and silken carpets are sold in maze like souqs, and bargains struck over sweet cups of Turkish coffee or cold colas. Designer cars, haute couture, furnishings for beautiful homes, a yacht or two? All available at gleaming high rise malls packed with the latest gizmos, gadgets and great deals.

Dubai is an open port with few import restrictions and even fewer import duties - that is why its retail prices are the lowest and a wide-ranging variety of products and international brands are available in its malls and markets.

Best Buys - Electronics, Home Appliances, Watches, Cameras, Jewellery and Gold, Haute Couture, Crystal, Carpets and Cosmetics.

Bargain Alert! Look up 'Best Buys' - a biweekly advertisement supplement in all UAE newspapers for the best bargains and offers available at the DSF.

· Night Souq - a brand new watering hole on Al Seef Street for avid shoppers! Shop for top brands at discounted prices while the world sleeps from 10 PM to 3 AM.
· Jumeirah Plaza - Close to the beach, offers great deals in brand names in electronics, home appliances, cosmetics etc
· Al Khaleej - Shops, supermarkets, food courts, coffee bars and everything you'd like to buy
· Al Ghurair City - The family mall - something for everyone
· Al Mullah Plaza- a mini city with apartments et al
· Bin Sougat -friendly neighbourhood shopping mall offers much more than groceries!
· Deira City Centre - Largest mall in Dubai - offers incredible bargains, great savings and freebies aplenty. Check out the carpets on offer here.
· Lamcy Plaza - Stylish open plan attracts shoppers with wide variety of competitively priced goods. Plus Point - entertainment round the corner at Lamcy Cinema.
· Bur Juman Centre - Fountains and fashion: four floors of designer shops.
· Wafi City - Pyramid shaped complex that houses restaurants, coffee shops, spas and Encounter Zone, the hi tech entertainment centre. Watch out for 'Winter in Wafi City' - a snow filled playground for kids and adults.
· Karama Market -'Designer' stuff at throwaway prices!
· Bur Dubai - The textile and electronics bazaar.
· Deira Gold Souq - The biggest, brightest retail gold market in Dubai. Gold jewellery available in18, 21 and 22 carats. Bars of 24 carat in any form and weight and bullion coins in 24 and 22 carat are also available. Prices are reasonable and determined by weight.
· Meena Bazaar - Gold, textiles, perfumes, sarees, silks and spices
· Al Fahidi Street - The place for electronics goods shopping - quality items at reasonable prices
· Cosmos Lane - Fabulous textiles from silk brocades, hand embroidered to colourful cottons from all over the world.
· Dubai Duty Free - Multiple outlets in both arrival and departure terminals. Best place to pick up gold, liquor, cigarettes, perfumes, electronics, leather accessories, watches, software, clothes and chocolates.

Shopping Tips - The art of shopping allied to the craft of bargaining - its the done thing in Dubai, so bargain, negotiate, parley, haggle for the perfect price - the one that pleases both buyer and the seller. But do so with grace and good manners.

Shopping Hours - 9AM to 1PM and 4 PM to 9PM or later. Supermarkets stay open all day, from Saturday to Thursday. All shops close for prayers on Friday from 11.30AM to 1.30PM. Shopping malls and most shops are open on Friday evenings until late. The Night Souq -10:00 PM -3:00AM.

Discounts galore, bargains to die for, offers too good to miss and prices that better throwaway. Irresistible? There's more to the DSF than meets the eye. Read on....

DSF - Unbeaten & Unbeatable! Record holder of the Guinness Book of World Records for the richest raffle draws!

31 days of the DSF - 2 Lexus LS440 and LS340 cars + Dirhams 100,000 given away everyday in the lucky draw for the price of raffle ticket - Dirhams 200 and just 10,000 tickets a day to test your luck. And this year, winers can avail of the buy back option.

The Midas Touch - Buy a bit of gold and win a fortune. Kilos and kilos of gold given away, a kilo a day and a grand prize of Dh 1,000,000 in cash, bullion or a gold certificate on the last day of the DSF! All this & discount coupons!

A Nissan a Day - Shop at any participating outlet for sums as small as Dirhams 25 and if Lady Luck smiles your way, a Nissan Patrol Super Safari 4WD is what you could drive away. There are 32 top-of-the-range Nissan Patrols 4x4 just waiting to be won. Raffle tickets given on purchases ranging from Dh 25 to Dh 500.

Dress Code: Relaxed - casual chic is in. There are few restrictions in Dubai but bare all, short and skimpy clothes are definitely OUT.

Climate: Sub-tropical, arid climate, basically dry with sparse, erratic rainfall. Harsh summers, mild winters. Air-conditioning everywhere makes weather reports near redundant.

Money Matters: Exchange Rate: 1 USD = 3.67 UAE Dirhams
                                                  1 Rs = 0.07627 UAE Dirhams
· All major credit cards freely accepted at all establishments in Dubai.
· Most international banks have offices/ operations in Dubai - money transfers are easy, exchange controls are few and the Dirham is freely convertible.

Bank Hours: 8 AM to 1 PM Saturdays to Wednesdays
                    8 AM to 12 PM Thursdays
                    Weekly Holiday - Friday
· All international currencies can be conveniently exchanged at Exchange Houses that open from 8:30 AM to 1 PM and 4.30 PM to 8 PM.

Holidays: Weekly off days for government offices are Thursday and Friday. Private companies take Friday and Saturdays off. Shops and supermarkets stay open all seven days of the week.

Car Rentals: In plenty. A national drivers license will suffice for renting and driving rental cars. Check and confirm with concerned rental company.

Telecommunications: Top class international and national telecommunications facilities and services. All internal calls (within Dubai) are free.