Get your hands on the best of deals and breath-taking discounts at the ongoing festival while keeping Covid safety in mind
By Akanksha Dean
Harmonizing with EXPO 2020 and the UAE’s Golden Jubilee festivities, the 27th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (Jan 1-Jan 29) furthermore highlights the city’s place as a secure and multi-faceted terminus and contributes to the increasing quest in its merchandising, entertaining and holiday zones.
Designed by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the latest edition of Dubai’s trophy festival accentuates to the realm the sparkle that has revisited the city after effectively overcoming the pandemic.
Dubai Mall
The biggest mall in Dubai is home to a good mix of retail outlets as well as gourmet eateries. It also acts as an entertainment centre, featuring a massive Ice rink and an indoor aquarium that showcases a wide array of aquatic life.
The Dubai Mall should be your top priority this DSF season, as it is the ideal destination for the avid shopper. Name it and you have it all!
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The giant electronic chains, fashion houses, cafes, even a dedicated gold souk at your disposal. Emirates Skywards has arranged a lucky draw through DSF, in which one lucky winner gets selected every week and earns one million Skywards Miles.
Until the end of January, if you spend a minimum of AED100, you double your chances of winning. And if you pay with an Emirates Skywards Credit Card you get one Tier Mile for every four Skywards Miles you receive.
Must Eat Options: Din Tai Fung, Ladurée, Entrecote Café De Paris, The Cheesecake Factory, Eataly.
Mall of The Emirates
This is no conventional shopping mall but a shopper’s utopia. Showcasing over 500 retail outlets and a great cinema complex (Vox Cinemas), this mall provides you with the best of both worlds.
This major spending attraction also has premium dining options and a nonstop admission to two of the biggest 5-star hotel brands (Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates and Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates).
Ski Dubai adds to the grandeur of this place as it is the only indoor snow park in the city, making it a major hotspot for locals as well as tourists.
Must Eat Options: Shake Shack, Café Bateel, Uchi Moishi, Olea – Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, Le Burger.
City Walk Dubai
An excellent amalgamation of high-end fashion, street -art, quirky restaurants and entertainment. It is definitely your one stop terminus for a good outing with your family and friends.
What makes this destination an absolute visit is its unique design and excellent layout. Unlike any other indoor shopping mall, it gives the shopper the ultimate experience of hassle-free shopping in the middle of a busy city like Dubai.
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Attractions like the Green Planet, Hub Zero, Coca-Cola Arena are something to look forward to when visiting here.
Must Eat Options: L’Occitaine Café, Armaanz World, Babaji, Berkan Steakhouse, Beit El Kell.
Dubai Festival City Mall
Also popularly known as DFC, it’s home to some of the prevalent high street fashion brands such as H&M, Zara, GAP etc. Making it an ideal spot for millennials to shop from.
What makes this mall exclusive is the fact that it is situated alongside the Dubai Creek and is the only mall in the city to have an IKEA outlet.
It also boasts of a wide array of dining options from quaint cafes to delicious steakhouses and diners. This mall is definitely one to look out for this shopping festival season.
Must Eat Options: Sugar Factory , Hummingbird Bakery , Texas Roadhouse , Galito’s Flame Grill Chicken, Hard Rock Café , Turkish Village.
Dubai Marina Mall
This quintessential mall is nestled upon one of the best locations in the city. It is situated on the Sheikh Zayed Road. This mall gets everything right, from major designer brands to affordable fashion, it ticks all the boxes a shopper could ask for.
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In short it has a good mix of everything. Since it’s located close to the Marina, it also has a good selection of fine dining restaurants in and about.
The mall highlights Reel Cinemas as well. If you’re a movie buff, you can catch up on the latest movies out here.
Must Eat Options: Pier 7, Grosvenor House, Carluccio’s , Wagamama , Salt Dubai Marina , Zafran Indian Bistro.
(Akanksha Dean is an independent Indian chef, events specialist, & food & travel writer, who has trained at world famous Osteria Francescana restaurant in Modena, Italy)