| The City of Merchants is finally ready with its gala | | | | Electronics Souk, with the difference that gold |
| Dubai Shopping Festival 2010 to indulge your shopping | | | | jewellery gets replaced with electronics items. To |
| mania. This shopping extravaganza will last till 28 | | | | treat your sense of smell to aromatic wonders, head |
| February, 2010. Sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, the | | | | to the Spice Souk, or walk down the Fish Souk to |
| festival beckons shoppers from across the globe | | | | watch a tantalising display of high heaps of fresh |
| with unbelievably low price tags for every | | | | catch. |
| conceivable item under the sun and even beyond. | | | | Those looking for carpets will be spoilt for choice at |
| Dubai, an already exuberantly alive metropolis, turns | | | | the Carpet Oasis. The area is a virtual sea of carpets |
| into one of the busiest places on the planet. More | | | | displaying the cheapest and the costliest varieties |
| than 2 million visitors grace this occasion and pump in | | | | from places as diverse as Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, |
| over US$1 billion in retail spending. | | | | Pakistan, India, Turkey, and Iran. Besides carpets, one |
| This year round, shelling out Dh300 at the Deira City | | | | may pick traditional handicraft items like swords and |
| Centre or Mall of the Emirates might just fetch you a | | | | curved Arabic daggers, Arabic coffee pots, silver |
| Dh2 million worth luxury sports car, Tuscan villa, or | | | | Bedouin jewellery, inlaid walnut and rosewood |
| private yacht. Another magnanimous offer is the | | | | furniture, cotton floor coverings (dhurries), marble |
| Lexus Mega Raffle dishing out prizes worth Dh16 | | | | goblets, and prayer beds. |
| million. Every day of the festival is a new window of | | | | In the unlikely scenario of getting sick with shopping, |
| opportunity for ticket holders who may win a Lexus | | | | people can spend some quality family time at the |
| LS 460 and a cash prize of Dh100,000. Besides, there | | | | DSF Family Desert Camp. The venue allows one to |
| are weekly prices to the tune of Dh400,000. Flights | | | | rough it out in tents and indulge in delightful activities |
| to Dubai are selling like hot cakes during this time. | | | | like quad biking and camel and horse riding. |
| Who knows, you might just get lucky like so many | | | | Entertainment shows, an exclusive food court and |
| others? Laser shows, fireworks, fashion shows, film | | | | barbecue facilities are sure to turn even the most |
| festivals, and international theatre performances | | | | puritanical individual into a gourmet. Children can have |
| further add to the excitement. | | | | the time of their lives at an inflatable zone and kiddy |
| Do not miss out on the souks (traditional bazaars | | | | ride zone. |
| dedicated to different items) of the Dubai Creek. | | | | This is arguably the best time to book your cheap |
| Seasoned bargainers can pick up treasures for a steal | | | | flights to Dubai as you can treat yourself to scores |
| at these souks. A walk through the Gold souk will | | | | of entertainment options like the Jazz Festival, Gulf |
| reveal that Dubai truly lives up to its name, ‘City | | | | Bike Festival 2010, and the 9th Traditional Poetry |
| of Gold’. The narrow streets are filled with gold | | | | Forum under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan |
| jewellery shops. The story duplicates itself at the | | | | bin Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. |