Dubai Shopping Festival to begin on January 5

Dubai: The Dubai Shopping Festival will kick off on January 5 next year, it has been announced. The 17th edition of the globally renowned, month-long annual shopping bonanza -- which attracts thousands of tourists to the city -- will be held from January 5 to February 5, 2012, the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) said in a statement. Over 6,000 retail outlets are expected to offer discounts throughout the festival, which has seen around 1.4 billion dirhams worth of prizes have been given away since it was first held in 1996. "The Dubai Shopping Festival is renowned as a global event that attracts visitors from across the world, making Dubai a meeting point for diverse cultures. DSF celebrates its seventeenth edition in 2012 with 32 days of intense shopping, entertainment and chances to win prizes worth millions of dirhams. Apart from being the anchor in Dubai`s annual events calendar, DSF is a celebration of Dubai at its best," said the DEPE Media Centre. Launched in 1996 to position Dubai as a leading tourist destination, DSF attracts people of over 200 nationalities, reflecting its famous slogan, `One World, One Family, One Festival`. Besides catering to shopaholics, hundreds of events have been lined up for the festival, from concerts, musicals and shows to sporting, outdoor and fashion events. PTI