Dubai Shopping Festival 2019 to kick start on December 26

Dubai Shopping Festival 2019 to kick start on December 26
Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the largest shopping and entertainment extravaganza, is about to start on Wednesday, December 26.
 Dubai Shopping Festival 2019 to kick start on December 26
Here's everything you need to know about the year's most anticipated shopping festival, including how to get the best deals throughout the season.
Whether you're looking for the latest HD television, laptop, smartphone, furniture, fashion accessories or clothes, you'll find it all under one roof and at unbeatable discounts at Majid Al Futtaim's shopping malls in Dubai - Mall of the Emirates and City Centres Deira, Mirdif, Me'aisem, Al Shindagha and My City Centre Al Barsha during DSF.
  Shopping Festival 2019 to kick start on December 26
How long is DSF?
This will be the longest running DSF yet, a whopping 39 days!  Starting on Wednesday December 26, 2018 the festival will run until February 2, 2019, with fashion brands, accessories and homeware stores putting up their best offers for shoppers.
Extended opening hours
Visitors can shop 'til they drop from 10am until 12 midnight from Sunday, December 26, 2018 until Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
What is the 12-hour Super Sale?
Kicking off the 24th edition of DSF, Majid Al Futtaim will launch an exclusive 12-hour super sale in partnership with the Dubai Festival & Retail Establishment, and in line with the Dubai Retail Calendar, at Mall of the Emirates and City Centres Deira, Mirdif, Me'aisem, Al Shindagha and My City Centre Al Barsha.
From 12 noon until midnight on December 26, participating retailers at the malls will offer attractive discounts of up to 90% on fashion, jewellery, homeware, electronics and more. Shoppers can also win a grand prize of AED 50,000.  Complimentary parking for shoppers during 12-hour sale.
DSF Weekend Surprises
Starting December 27, all Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls in Dubai will offer its customers massive discount on an exclusive range of products during the DSF Weekend Surprise on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  One retailer will offer an incredible discount and will be announced 24-hr before the weekend.
  Dubai Shopping Festival 2019 to kick start on December 26
Shop the Night Away
Discover the ultimate DSF shopping experience with Shop the Night Away at Mall of Emirates on January 23.  Starting from 6pm until midnight, deal-hunters can pick up promotion bundles at their favourite shops, as well promotions on food courts and restaurants. There will also be workshops, styling sessions, and VIP gift bags on offer.
How many stores participating during DSF?
Shoppers will benefit from massive discounts at more than 1,500 stores across Mall of the Emirates and City Centres Deira, Mirdif, Me'aisem, Al Shindagha and My City Centre Al Barsha.
The best DSF fashion and beauty discounts
Looking for that perfect piece to add to your wardrobe or to completely refresh your look for the new year? From multi-brands stores Harvey Nichols - Dubai and Debenhams to leading high-street brands like H&M, Topshop, Zara, Mango, AllSaints, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister, hundreds of fashion stores are offering unbeatable discounts this DSF. This is the ideal time to nab those pair of boots that you've been eyeing for months!
Perfect gifts for athleisure-loving friends
As the temperature falls, many of us will be hitting the beach, take on running and cycling, or explore the great outdoors. Snap up swimwear, sneakers and more from Seafolly, Lululemon, Nike, Adidas, Modell's, and Go Sport at great prices.
DSF tech deals
Laptop deals
Whether you're after a feather-light laptop for working on-the-go or a widescreen, full-option device for your graphics and editing needs, find it all at Majid Al Futtaim's shopping malls in Dubai. Carrefour, Jumbo Electronics, Virgin Mega store and Sharaf DG will be offering discount.
Smartphone deals
There are serious bargains at Virgin Megastore, Sharaf DG, Axiom, E-City, Emax, Eros Digital Home, Jumbo, HiPhone Telecom, and Xiomi, on selected smartphone brands.
The best TV deals for any budget
If you are looking to upgrade your movie experience at home, DSF is the perfect time to invest in a home theatre system. Carrefour, Sharaf DG and Samsung are offering amazing teach deals from full HD to 4K Ultra HD, LCD and OLED, so get your new TV just in time for New Year.
The best games and console deals for Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox fans
If you're looking to buy a console right now, you've got more choice than ever before.  Gamers will be spoilt for choice with amazing offers on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Head to Virgin Megastore, Jumbo Electronics, Sharaf DG and Carrefour to find what suits your entertainment needs.
Home and kitchen appliance deals worth your money
Considering cooking more often at home in the new year? Shop at Carrefour, Sharaf DG, Crate & Barrel, IDdesign, Villeroy & Boch, Tavola, Tanagra and Zara Home for the best deals on refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, washers, coffee machines, dryers and kitchen packages.
Sofa, bed and furniture deals from the best retailers
Spruce up your home without breaking the bank on furniture and home furnishings at Home Centre, The One, Marina Exotic Home Interiors, Maisons Du Monde and Grand Home.
International entertainment
Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Me'aisam and City Centre Al Shindagha will have a host of entertainment for the entire family throughout the   festival, as well.
Raffles and Prizes
At Mall of the Emirates, one lucky winner will win 15 times the purchase value everyday upon shopping for AED 650 at any retailer in the mall.
City Centre Deira will launch 'Price is Right', an interactive game where customers can participate to win prizes. Visitors to the mall's website will be asked to guess the price of a product. If they guess correctly, they will receive a code to redeem at the mall to win the product. Furthermore, visitors who shop for AED 250 at City Centre Deira to win Landcruiser 2019 family car.
City Centre Mirdif
City Centre Mirdif will be hosting 'Game Room', experiential entertainment zone that will guarantee excitement and endless possibilities of winning. Three exciting digital games will be set up for customers who shop for AED 500, AED 1000 and AED 2,000 to try their luck and win back their total spend or more in mall gift cards or retailer vouchers. Those who shop for AED 500 can win back up to AED 500, those who shop for AED 1000 can aim to win up to AED 2,000 and for a spend of AED 2,000, shoppers can look forward to a win of up to AED 5,000.
City Centre Me'aisem, and City Centre Al Shindagha
In collaboration with Dubai Shopping Malls Group, shoppers will have the chance to win cash prizes to the value of AED 1 MILLION from December 26, 2018 until February 2, 2019.  To enter the draw, shoppers need to shop for AED 200.  AED 200,000 to be won per week!
Free shuttle bus for Tourist
Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls offer complimentary shuttle bus services for tourists from over 80 hotels in Dubai making it convenient to visit the malls.
Why Majid Al Futtaim's shopping malls are the happiest places to shop this DSF?
Easy access
For direct access to the mall without the hassle of driving, hop on to the Dubai Metro, which has a direct metro station serving Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Deira without letting you walk for long.
VIP Lounge
Relax, refresh and refuel in style while you wait for your Uber or Careem ride in the brand-new VIP Lounge at Mall of the Emirates.
Recharge your mobile device
Head to Customer Service desks to borrow a power bank to recharge your phone on the go!
Hands Free
Just drop off your shopping bags at the Hands Free collection desks at Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Mirdif and continue your shopping spree without any hassle.
City Centre Mirdif's OUTDOORS
The family lifestyle destination has brought the ultimate North Pole adventure for visitors, young and old, this season with 'OUTDOORS' – the Winter Wonderland edition. Strap on those ice skates and enjoy a chilly winter in the desert on the ice-skating rink and snow park. Make snow angels, hide behind igloos, interact with cute penguin and polar bear figures or unwind near the faux fireplace in the cosy winter chalet with some hot chocolate and good conversation that will transport you to a heart-warming cabin in the Alps. City Centre Mirdif will also be hosting movie nights for residents and tourists to sit back, dine and have a magical escape right here in the city.
Happy Shopping!

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How To Explore Dubai In Three Perfect Days

Soak up the sun at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeriah. Courtesy Jumeirah

There’s something about Dubai’s unapologetic opulence that beckons you. This is a place where you can spend the morning hunting for local gems at the souk, the afternoon sipping champagne atop a camel in the desert and the evening dining at a hotel with one of the most spellbinding views in the world.

However, while Dubai has risen to the top of travelers’ bucket lists, what many of them don’t realize is that if you do your homework, you can actually enjoy all these things—and more—in one thrilling long weekend.

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Sound overwhelming? What’s where we come in. Here, we’ve pulled together some of the vast city’s glorious highlights so you don’t have to. It’s up to you how exactly you want to tackle each day (though we’d strongly encourage capping that camel ride at sunset), but this helpful guide covers all your Dubai essentials—from how to get there and where to stay to where to shop and where to… ski?

A trip to Emirates Airlines’ onboard lounge is a vacation in itself. Courtesy Emirates

Live your best life in the clouds on Emirates Airlines. 

Emirates Airlines flew me from New York to Dubai in their Business Class cabin and achieved the unthinkable: They turned a 13-hour flight into an experience I’d actually want to repeat. Fly Business or First Class, and you’ll get a complimentary chauffeured car to and from the airport and direct boarding access from a designated spot in the lounge. The Dubai lounge includes four restaurants, a cigar bar, a spa, marble showers and some very low-key gold-plated Rolex clocks hanging on its walls.

Once you’re aboard, the crew assembles an actual mattress bed for you, and to help ward off jet lag, the plane features special LED mood lighting to simulate the night sky and early morning. Then there’s the onboard lounge, which boasts one of the best bars you’ll find at 40,000 feet.

Prepare for a bumpy ride. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Head to the desert and cozy up to a camel.

If you have time for only one experience in Dubai, make it a desert safari with Arabian Adventures. There are a ton of different customizable versions, which can include an extremely bumpy journey over the sand dunes, sand skiing and sand boarding. The grand finale is usually a camel ride at the campsite. If that sounds a bit scary, rest assured that your jaunt will be fairly brief, pretty tame and totally unforgettable.

Oh, just the tallest structure in the world. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Dine in the tallest building in the world.

At.mosphere is on the 123rd floor of the Burj Khalifa, also known as the world’s tallest structure. It’s one of Dubai’s pricier dining options (a three-course lunch is about $185 per person, and that’s not including alcohol), but it’s worth it considering you’ll be sampling dishes like lobster tarte, black cod and foie gras in a sleek, cozy room with an incredible view from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Perched in the sky, you’ll be able to see the entire city.

The Madinat Jumeriah is composed of no less than five hotels. Courtesy Emirates

Cool off at a beach hotel.

It’s hard to go wrong when selecting a hotel in Dubai, but we highly recommend choosing accommodations by the beach. It’s the desert and it’s hot, so you’re going to want to be close to the ocean. Jumeriah Beach Hotel is directly on the water and it neighbors Madinat Jumeirah Resort, which is composed of five separate hotels, so if you crash there, you’ll never get bored. Plus, most of the city’s nicer restaurants are located in hotels—which will only make your three-day sightseeing more efficient.

If this isn’t Instagram heaven, we don’t know what is. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Embrace your inner Snow White at the Miracle Garden.

The Miracle Garden is a 780,000-square-foot petal-filled extravaganza, also known as peak Instagram fodder. Its lush creations change often but frequently include flower arches, enormous birds and storybook homes fit for the likes of Snow White (there’s currently a gigantic cat everyone should run to see). The mainstay is the life-size replica of an Emirates Airbus A380—it won the Guinness World Record for the largest floral installation in 2016.

A true shark tank. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Swim with the sharks at the Dubai Mall.

Because Dubai doesn’t do understated, the Dubai Mall is the largest mall on Earth. It’s more than 13 million square feet and contains 1,200 shops and boutiques (Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton all make cameos). But it would only be a mall if it weren’t for its pièce de résistance: the Dubai Aquarium, a 245-ton tank on the ground floor filled with 140 species of oceanic creatures, including the largest number of Sand Tiger Sharks in the world. If splurging on that Dior handbag doesn’t feel risky enough, you can book a shark dive.

Just a casual ski slope inside a mall. Flickr

Hit the slopes at the Mall of the Emirates.

Yes, we know, another mall—but you don’t go here for the storefronts. Sure, it’s a perfectly nice place to browse, but the Mall of the Emirates is also where you’ll find Ski Dubai, a resort where winter sports fans can take a chairlift to the top of the slopes and then ski or snowboard down. If you didn’t come all the way to Dubai to get cold, you can snag a hot chocolate at the Avalanche Café and go watch the penguins frolic nearby.

The textile souk, for proper silk stalking. Tom Dulat/Getty Images

Find the perfect souvenir in a local souk.

The city is famous for its souks, or street markets. Its most popular is the Gold Souk, which houses endless shops dedicated to selling the shiny metal in every form, but if you’re looking for unique souvenirs for friends, also hit up the Spice Souk, which sells traditional favorites like turmeric and saffron, and the Textile Souk, an excellent source for silk fabrics. If you want a truly personalized gift, go to the Perfume Souk, where you can craft custom fragrances. Just don’t forget to make one for yourself—you’ll want to bring a little Dubai home with you.

[Ed. note: The trip on which the reporting in this story was based was paid for by Emirates Airlines, who had no influence over the story.]

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