Out of the box ideas at this market in Dubai's Burj Park

If you want to make the best of the weather and indulge in some bespoke buys such as jalabiyas with a twist, unique handcrafted jewellery, then SWYP Market Outside the Box (MOTB) is the place to be.
The market, set in the backdrop of the Burj Khalifa, opened its doors to the public at Burj Park in Downtown from Thursday and will continue until the end of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) on February 1.
As the name suggests, the MOTB is an open-air market that features over 100 emerging, talented regional designers, highlighting some of the best homegrown and artisan products from independent retailers across the city. Most of the products at this market are based on 'out of the box' ideas and also focus on being eco-friendly, keeping the sustainability goals in mind.
Suhaila Saqer Obaid Ghubash, director of festival and events at the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: "The alfresco market that arrives with the DSF season each year, is not going into its seventh year, and has quickly become one of the city's most anticipated bazaars, bringing together the best of local wonders, vendors and weather. Every year, it showcases homegrown brands selling all kinds of goods, whether it's jewellery, beachwear, fashion or home accessories, that aren't your run-of-the-mill finds. Peruse the stalls and see all the incredible collections local artisans and vendors are pulling together for this market. You're bound to find treasures there. We try to bring in new participants every year to give them more exposure."
Talking about the selection process of the retailers at the market, Ghubash said: "We chose the participants at MOTB based on the uniqueness of their concept, they should have been in the business for two years at least and were required to have a good social media presence to invite more people to the market."
The opening day of the MOTB also saw Shamma Hamdan, the first Emirati woman to make it to the finals of the hit reality show Arabs Got Talent, take to the stage to give a powerful performance and belt out some popular Arabic numbers.
Rana Etaiwi and Reem Zamgan, 25-year-old fashion designers from Jordan participating in the MOTB for the first time, were excited to display their modern jalabiyas with a twist at the market.
"Every piece at our shop The R designs' is unique and you can gauge the exclusivity of our jalabiyas by the fact that we have only one piece of every design. They all are one size that fits all. We get all jalabiyas done from our tailor in Kuwait. We have been doing this business for two years but this is the first time we are participating at MOTB. It is a brilliant concept as it gives a lot of young entrepreneurs a chance to promote their work. The atmosphere is festive with great entertainment taking place at the huge stage set in the middle of the park and we got to make so many new friends here as well," Etaiwi told Khaleej Times.
saman@khaleejtimes.com