iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Media reports had suggested the trip would begin as soon as Sunday and last two days
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Shop through and through
Dubai is all set for non-stop shopping this Eid. Residents and visitors have hailed the ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping initiative with many preparing to make maximum use of the opportunity to shop into the wee hours at various malls during the ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations, which got under way on Thursday.
The innovative ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping scheme, which runs under the slogan “Shop All Day, Shop All Night”, follows a directive from His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to allow shoppers to experience a non-stop shopping spree during the weekends at selected malls.
Families and visitors can now enjoy the experience of staying in shopping malls into the early hours, as participating malls and thousands of retail outlets will remain open from Thursday morning to Saturday night, allowing for more than 60 consecutive hours of shopping on October 18 and 19, 25 and 26, and November 1 and 2. Extra special offers and discounts will be available between midnight and 7am.
The malls that are participating in the ‘Dubai 24 hours’ initiative are The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, Deira City Centre, Dubai Festival City, Ibn Battuta Mall, Arabian Centre and Lamcy Plaza. Several other malls have opted for the extended shopping hours option during the weekdays lasting from 10am to 1am and dining hours up to 3am daily while some other malls have extended their shopping hours during weekdays between one to three hours during the ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations.
At the start of the first weekend of ‘Dubai 24 Hours’, visitors were excited about staying up late to do their shopping chores.
Rasheed Karoush, Danish of Moroccan origin, is visiting Dubai with his family, and wants to give his children the opportunity to experience Arab and Islamic culture during the ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations.
“As tourists, we are very pleased with the decision of keeping malls opened for 24 hours, as this will allow us to make use of each and every minute we spend in Dubai during our visit, and gives us an opportunity to shop more and enjoy all the different offers and entertainment that each mall offers. We will try to attend all activities that are taking place during Eid and will shop a lot.”
Saif Hashim from Oman and wife Samar Salim are regular visitors to the UAE, especially during the ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations every year, and they are both delighted at the extended shopping hours.
“We are happy that the malls will be open 24 hours, as this will give us a chance to shop for whatever we want from furniture to clothes and many other things. Sometimes we have to rush to the mall the night before we travel back to Oman to do some last-minute shopping but now with the malls opening for longer hours, we can do our shopping in a leisurely way,” Hashim said. Cinema buffs from the UAE 28-year-old Ahmad Al Jamiri, 19-year-old Mogrim Al Marri and Hamad bin Ghaliza said that the new initiative would go down well with moviegoers: “During the time of celebrations, all three of us plan to go to the cinemas on a daily basis for the last show of the night. This shopping format is good for those who love to enjoy movies at midnight.”
R. Bhaskar and his family from India said that they are excited about the non-stop shopping scheme, as it will allow them to fully enjoy the weekends. They can now divide the time at their disposal in a better way — between attending the numerous activities in Dubai and also keep some time for shopping.
Saudi national Saeed Al Ghatani, who is visiting Dubai with wife and their baby boy, said: “Whenever we get the chance, we always travel to Dubai to enjoy our holidays. But this ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations is different, as it has many new activities and the idea of keeping shopping malls open for 24 hours is great, especially for shopaholics like my wife and me. This will allow us to do our shopping in a relaxed manner.”
The ‘Dubai 24 hours’ initiative will reinforce Dubai’s image as a year-round shopping paradise that offers residents from around the world the best global brands under one roof, plus a rewarding shopping experience that is hard to beat for convenience and ambience. With the launch of ‘Dubai 24 hours’, malls will have the opportunity to provide the maximum and ultimate shopping experience for customers.
More news from
Visitors can enjoy movies with family favourites, including ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Zootopia’ to match the wild theme every evening from 8pm
Sheikh Mohamed conveyed his congratulations to all eight honourees, recognising their inspiring efforts and significant contributions in service to society
His father thanked everyone who participated in the search mission despite the challenges posed by flooding in various parts of the emirate
It will be humid by night and Sunday morning with a probability of mist formation over some coastal and internal areas
Nearly 6,000 volunteers linked to a single support group are working tirelessly across the country to help those affected
Real estate developer MAG pledges to cover all the costs of necessary repairs for affected residents
The substantial increase in charges left many residents financially burdened, as they strive to retrieve their stranded vehicles
