Amazing Offers At Homes r Us This Dubai Summer Surprises

Homes r Us, one of the fastest growing home furniture and furnishings brand in the Middle East, has a great treat in store for all shoppers. The brand has announced a Mega Sale of up to 75 per cent off as a part of Dubai Summer Surprises 2009. Starting June 25, 2009, the sale will be on at its outlets in Mazaya Center and Arabian Center, Dubai. The brand is also extending the amazing sale to its outlet in Sharjah. The entire range of home furniture, furnishings and accessories at the Homes r Us store will be available at irresistible bargains.

By spending AED 200 at the Homes r Us store at the Arabian Center, shoppers stand a chance to win AED 500,000 every week for nine weeks starting June 11, 2009 as part of the “Surprising Millions” promotion, being organized by Dubai Summer Surprises – Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSS-DSMG). Shoppers spending AED 200 at the store will also be eligible to participate in the Arabian Center mall draw to win a Toyota four-wheel drive every week.

Announcing the mega sale, Mr. Viraf Raimalwala, General Manager, Homes r Us, said, “At Homes r Us, we always aim towards offering great value to our customers. While continually maintaining high quality standards, we also focus on providing great value to our customers all through the year by way of unmatched choice of stylish home furniture and furnishings. The attraction of shopping at Homes r Us is multiplied by the affordable price points and by periodical value offers such as the sale which is going on at present.”

“Our stores house an eclectic range of home furniture, furnishings and accessories across truly stunning styles and trends. We carry a vast range of home décor and home essentials to meet the needs all nationalities and cultures. We thank DSS for their tremendous support towards our brand and for creating wonderful opportunities where shoppers can find great deals while shopping,” he further added.

With the recent opening of the new stores at Arabian Center on Al Khawaneej Road, Mirdiff and Bawadi Mall in Al Ain, Homes r Us has expanded its reach to its customers. Homes r Us showcases an extensive and stylish range of furniture for living, dining, bedrooms, outdoor and junior homes. One can choose from a diverse range of furniture and furnishing concepts in living, dining, bedroom, outdoor and junior home, as well as a fascinating collection of accessories like picture gallery, artistic rugs, lamps, gift ideas and much more. Offering a kaleidoscope of designs and styles that vary across cultures, genre and personal taste, the brand has earned its place in the hearts and minds of discerning shoppers.

du opens new shop at Aswaaq supermarket in Al Mizhar

Reaching out to new and existing customers in Al Mizhar, du announced today the opening of its new shop at Aswaaq supermarket in Dubai’s Al Mizhar area.

Located in the Al Mizhar Community Center in Dubai on the first floor, the du shop will cater to customers with du’s wide variety of products and services including purchase of du prepaid, du Elite Plan postpaid lines, du recharge cards, du Call Select (fixed line service) and also provide information about the ongoing promotional offers from du.

du is also participating in Aswaaq’s ‘Spin and Win’ promotion, to mark the start of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) and the supermarket chain’s participation in the summer festivities. The promotion, which is targeting all shoppers, and in particular the local residents of Al Mizhar area of Dubai, will offer a unique chance to win an assortment of valuable prizes. To participate in the promotion, shoppers have to spend a minimum of AED 50 at the Aswaaq supermarket, and will then be given the chance to spin the Aswaaq wheel. Those lucky enough to spin the wheel round to a winning spot will win their choice of an instant prize which include one minutes of free shopping, apart from exclusive prizes from du.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, commented; “With our new shop at Aswaaq at Mizhar, we are making it easier for customers to reach us and opening new doors of relationship with them. At the same time, Aswaaq’s Spin and Win promotion provides us with an opportunity to reach out to and connect with customers in Al Mizhar area in Dubai, and to raise awareness about the wide range of products, services and promotions that du offers, to fit all of our customers’ unique needs. The promotion also provides an excellent opportunity to kick-start du’s participation in DSS, and we are looking forward to a fun-filled summer of bringing du’s products and services, closer to our customers.”

What A ’Delicious’ Way To Raise Money!

For the sixth consecutive year, Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, is teaming up with Mercato for the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) event known as the Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale, in support of Dubai Autism Center.

With more than 60 Executive Pastry Chefs from Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, 3338 exquisite, mouthwatering cakes will be prepared and sold to celebrate DSS Sweet Surprises. This number of cakes represents the total number of rooms provided by Jumeirah Group’s Hotels & Resorts.

The Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale will take place on Friday June 26th from 6.00pm – 10.00pm at Mercato. The chefs will be preparing 15 signature cakes of all flavours, designs and sizes, with choices to satisfy everyone’s tastes.

With over 100 Jumeirah colleagues on the stand, each cake will be sold for the tantalizing price of AED30 and all proceeds will be donated to Dubai Autism Center. Jumeirah’s finest Pastry chefs will be working towards beating last year’s record of AED 46,427.

Andy Cuthbert, Executive Assistant Manager for Food and Beverage at Jumeirah Hospitality, said: “We at Jumeirah are proud to be associated with the Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale, held annually in Mercato. Enjoyed by the general public as well as by Jumeirah colleagues participating in the activity, this charity event is a light-hearted way to raise awareness and funds for a most important cause in today’s society, autism, and more specifically for the Dubai Autism Center.”

DSS Facebook Page Receives Overwhelming Response

Information about Dubai Summer Surprises events, promotions, raffle draws, and a host of other attractions are now available on an interactive website and a Facebook page created to receive feedback, enquiries, and suggestions from the thousands of DSS fans and first time DSS visitors.

www.mydsf.ae is a fully dedicated website that provides detailed information on Dubai Summer Surprises events, the latest attractions, and promotions that will enable shoppers to bag the best bargains during the summer extravaganza.

Khulood Al Thani, Marketing Director of DSF Office said, “www.mydsf.ae is the first point of contact for any DSS visitor and this year, we have ensured that information is categorized in a manner where users will find it extremely easy to navigate through the page. We’ve gone a step further this DSS with a Facebook page as well where DSS fans can communicate with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

For the first time, visitors to the website can utilize several search options to know more about DSS attractions. The first option involves search tags such as watch, listen, relax, taste, and play. The second option allows users to search with tags of woman, man, family, or children. Users can also search events by date or by simply entering part or whole of the event name. Users can also register on the site to receive regular updates on the latest DSS happenings. 2500 people have registered since DSS began on June 11.

The DSF Office has also taken advantage of popular networking sites such as Facebook to reach out to a wider audience and enable DSS fans to give feedback, enquire about events, and also take part in exciting competitions to win prizes every week.

“The element of winning has taken a new perspective this DSS through competitions on our Facebook page and these competitions have been well received by members of the page,” added Khulood.

In just two weeks after being on Facebook, the DSS page has already attracted over a thousand fans and the number is growing as more people get to know about the page. Members can post messages and queries on the Wall and all enquiries are answered in the shortest time possible. Fans can also take part in the weekly competitions with exciting questions and a different prize giveaway every week.

Dubai Retail Lines Up Calendar Of ’Beat The Heat’ Events At The Walk @ JBR To Mark Dubai Summer Surprises

The Walk, a pioneering beachfront shopping avenue managed and developed by Dubai Retail, a subsidiary of Dubai Properties Group (DPG), today announced it has lined up a calendar of family-oriented activities and events at the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) to mark Dubai Summer Surprise (DSS), the annual retail and entertainment extravaganza that attracts visitors from around the world to the emirate.

Scheduled to be held until 14 August, the ‘Beat the Heat’ events will bring Dubai Summer Surprises to the beaches of Dubai for the first time.

The beachfront retail avenue stretching over 1.7km at Jumeirah Beach Residence will host a multitude of entertaining events including water sports, football, volleyball fields, a floating island, inflatable slides, inflatable games and spa area. The area between the Hilton and Sheraton Hotel, opposite the main JBR parking lot at the heart of the beachside development will serve as the venue for the activities during the DSS extravaganza.

Haiyan Mujarkech, CEO of Dubai Retail said: “The Walk at JBR is an ideal venue to host family-oriented beachfront activities to mark DSS following the significant turnout earlier for Dubai Shopping Festival, the spectacular annual retail extravaganza. Offering attractive views of the Arabian Gulf, a great selection of shopping and dining options, The Walk will deliver an enhancing leisure experience.

“As a key industry player, Dubai Retail is keen to bring popular events such as Covent Garden Dubai, DSF, DSS, to The Walk, complementing its role as a destination that serves tourists and residents with its multitude of options.”

In addition to the entertainment, The Walk will also offer onsite refreshments, restaurants, and a relaxation zone with beach recliners, sun beds, beach tents, umbrellas, and other amenities for beach lovers.

Launched in August 2008, The Walk, boasts a total of 200 fashion, furniture and lifestyle stores, serving JBR residents as well as the entire marina district. It is set to unveil a series of spas and beach clubs, accentuating the development’s round the year beach resort offering, making Jumeirah Beach Residence one of the most luxurious developments in the region.

In its profound commitment to delivering innovative and pioneering concepts in the retail sector, Dubai Retail continues to bring renowned brands to its properties within the emirate. With over five million square feet currently under development, Dubai Retail is set to become one of the largest and the most prominent retail solutions provider in the Middle East in the near future.

’Surprising Millions’ Await Customers As Dubai Outlet Mall Sets To Draw Dubai Shopping Malls Group Weekly Raffle

Ten lucky winners from thousands of shoppers will find themselves richer this weekend at the Dubai Outlet Mall.

Dubai will witness another evening of fun, cheer and good fortune at the Dubai Outlet Mall this week as the mall prepares to host the second weekly raffle draw of Dubai Shopping Malls Group’s (DSMG) Surprising Millions campaign for Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS).

Vishal Mahajan, Director of Dubai Outlet Mall, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the DSMG raffle draw this Thursday evening and look forward to a very successful and entertaining event. We like all our customers to come along and join in the fun and enjoy amazing bargains, great brands and exciting entertainment at Dubai Outlet Mall.”

The weekly raffle draws are designed as a fun event for the whole family with special entertainment including a circus act for the young ones. The entertainment will start at 6.00 pm followed by the draw to select ten lucky winners at 6.30 pm. Each winner will receive AED 50,000 in cash and prizes.

Majid Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Shopping Malls Group said: “The ‘Surprising Millions’ campaign is proving to be a great success with shoppers. Consumers are benefiting from the best bargains on offer. The raffle draws, providing an opportunity to win millions, is an added incentive. The campaign offers total prizes worth AED 5 million.”

Surprising Millions campaign has participation from twenty three malls which include Al Bustan Centre, Al Ghurair City, Al Manal Centre, Al Mulla Plaza, Arabian Center, Bur Juman ,Century Mall ,Dubai Festival City, Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Marina Walk, Dubai Outlet Mall, Gold & Diamond Park, Ibn Batutta Mall, Lamcy Plaza, Mazaya Center, Mercato Mall, Oasis Centre, Reef Mall, Souk Al Bahar and Downtown Burj, The Dubai Mall, Town Centre, Time Square Centre and WAFI Mall.

In last week’s draw held at Dubai Marina Mall, four out of ten winners were UAE nationals. Other winners included nationals of UK, Qatar, India, Ireland, Jordan and KSA.

To receive the raffle coupons and enter any of the nine weekly draws as part of Surprising Millions, shoppers only need to spend a minimum amount of AED 200 at participating malls in Dubai. Shoppers can also double their chances of winning by using their MasterCard credit cards as they receive an additional raffle coupon

Dubai Fashion Fiesta 2009 Ends With A Flair Of Sophistication

The Dubai Fashion Fiesta (DFF) 2009, a fashion highlight of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2009, created another mark in the fashion industry as it showcased topnotch local designers and emerging talents. The event ended on a high fashion note on Monday, June 22, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

DFF 2009 was a tremendous success as it gathered the attention of thousands of high-profile socialites, fashionistas, models, designers, media and even actors and actresses. Sightings of Bollywood celebrities such as Riya Sen, Raima Sen and Sayali Bhagat added to the glamour of the show. Fashion gurus such as Sabrina Barnett, DFF Ambassador in the USA and Larisa Katz, DFF brand ambassador in the UK were also part of DFF 2009.

The four amazing days of fashion put the spotlight on the collections of almost 34 designers from different sides of the world. Celebrated designers and labels for this year’s Fashion Fiesta included Lida O’ Reilly, Marco Marcu, Anita Dongre, Shaahid Amir, Verica Rakocevic, Dragica Gudeljevic, and JJ Valaya. The event also featured designers of the likes of Reka Orosz, Raman Vij, Miss Magou, Nataliya Dolenko London, Rocky Gathercole, Furne One and Larisa Katz.

The ramp was filled with avant-garde pieces and models walked through the ramp with confidence and power to the dresses that beautifully wrapped them. Attendees found delight in the shows wherein the powerful pull of style gave a creative flair in so many ways – trendy colors, silks, sequins, woven, embroidered, tapered, native, classic, and the modern. DFF 2009 paved the way for designers to create looks that were very inventive and ingenious.

Anna Unger from the UK won The Emerging Talent designer award for DFF 2009. Twenty four young designers from across the world were given the opportunity to present their talents and collections as they vied for the title ‘The Emerging Designer Awards’.

Mall Of The Emirates Records Sales Of AED 7.7 Billion In 2008 And Expects Significant Footfall During DSS 2009

Shopping promotions and exciting events at the Mall of the Emirates during Dubai Summer Surprises have been instrumental in attracting visitors to the mall during summer, and this has reflected positively on retail sales and the overall visitor turnout, according to Fuad Mansour Sharaf, Vice President of Mall of the Emirates.

Mall of the Emirates, the world’s first shopping resort is a member of the Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Group – a key sponsor of DSS 2009.

Sharaf noted that Mall of the Emirates had logged tremendous growth rates since its launch in 2006. ’In 2008, we achieved AED 7.7 billion worth of sales, an indication substantial evidence of the pioneering retail position now boasted by the Mall.”

He also outlined the mall’s plans for DSS and stressed that DSS was key to the growth of retail business during the summer. “Most of the summer activities in the emirate are organized in malls during the summer and therefore, shopping malls are more than keen to have a strong presence in the summer extravaganza. For us at MAF, the event is of a paramount importance to our business and we are ensuring to make the best use of it.”

Mall of the Emirates was the venue for the opening ceremony of DSS 2009 and witnessed a massive response with over 100,000 mall-goers on the day. Fuad said that the selection of the mall for an important event such as the opening was enough indication of the confidence that DSS officials had in the mall’s ability to host such an event.

Elaborating on the promotions being organized this DSS at the Mall, Fuad said, “This year, Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre are coming together for the first time ever in a joint promotion to give visitors the chance to win prizes worth AED 2 million this summer. The massive campaign sees both malls give two winners AED 100,000 each every week with the amount doubling up in the last draw by the end of DSS. The joint initiative means shoppers can now spend the AED 300 needed to enter the draw at any of the 800 stores in the two malls.”

While stressing that the AED 7.7 billion sales figure for 2008 was an achievement by itself, Fuad said “In DSS 2009, we expect the sales to be almost the same of 2008, a year which witnessed a 30 per cent increase in sales over the previous year 2007. A huge footfall of 6 million visitors came to the Mall during the DSS 2008 and we expect the same number during this edition.”

He also threw light on the nationalities of the visitors at the mall. “Usually tourists coming from the GCC countries to Dubai during the DSS are the largest in number in comparison with other nationalities. During the first days of this edition we’ve noticed that a large chunk of those visiting the Mall are locals and expatriates living in the country along with a reasonable number of GCC nationals and Europeans. We expect an increase in the footfall over the coming period, especially among those coming from Saudi Arabia.”

In an indication that Mall of the Emirates was poised for an expansion, Fuad said that they were embarking on an ambitious expansion project under which up to 40 new stores offering international assortments of global brands would be ready by the fourth quarter of 2010. This move, he added, would bring the number of operating stores at the Mall to 511, and effectively provide 233,000 square metres of Gross Leasable Area for retailers and other service providers.

On a closing note, Fuad said that new malls would only strengthen Dubai’s retail sector and add to Dubai’s position as a top-notch global shopping destination. Competition, he added, would play a vital role in protecting consumer interest and vitalizing the country’s economy.

RTA Stand At Modhesh City Promotes Traffic Awareness Of Visitors

The Stand of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) at Modhesh City is receiving huge numbers of visitors who are attracted by Traffic Safety Village and a number of other events organized by Traffic Awareness Section at the RTA as part of Dubai Summer Surprises 2009.

“RTA is keen on utilizing all opportunities and events to get this message across all segments of the community; particularly children. The summer vacation is a perfect opportunity to direct these messages to students through the multiple programs & events hosted by RTA at Modhesh City, summer camps and public libraries” said Hussain Al Banna, Director of Traffic Dep’t at RTA Traffic & Roads Agency.

He added: “Traffic Awareness Section at Traffic Dep’t has prepared well in advance to receive visitors of RTA Stand at Modhesh City through a Traffic Village that forms a blend of entertainment with awareness and education with recreation, organizing events running from 11 June to 14 August. The village is designed in a shape of a city featuring key traffic landmarks such as roads, directional signs, and traffic signals, in addition to side yards bustling with activities such as the drawing corner, technical workshop, theatre and diverse publications. Organization of this event is matched with the publication of Issue 26 of Salama Magazine in both Arabic & English.

“The summer program this year includes several other awareness events targeting students in summer training camps and participants in public libraries program held in cooperation with Dubai Municipality. Awareness events are not restricted to summer vacations of kids only but also span all age groups through issuing modern publications such as Surface Traveler Manual, traffic campaigns to raise the awareness of risks of tire-related accidents, and the importance of checking up and inspecting the vehicle before travelling.

“Before setting off, motorists intending to travel by road are advised to obtain the Surface Travel Manual from RTA Stand at Modhesh City and several other spots related to processing transactions of surface travelers such as RTA Licensing Agency, and The Automobile and Touring Club for UAE. The Manual, which is distributed along with a compass, road maps of neighbouring countries which receive a lot of travelers during summer vacation, along with charts showing border areas and distances between cities and areas across the international road corridors.

“The Manual includes wide-ranging data explaining the procedures needed by surface travelers from the UAE as well as places concerned with travel permits, detecting & repairing vehicle faults, driving under different weather conditions, and the importance of taking a First Aid Kit in the vehicle.

“The new edition of Salama Magazine published in June 2009 is a valuable addition to RTA Stand at Mudhesh City; as it is published in both Arabic & English to meet the increasing demand among non-Arabic speakers for this specialist awareness publication. RTA maintains constructive cooperation with its strategic partners particularly Government Departments and private entities towards diffusing traffic awareness messages, and capitalizing on various resources, methods and communication channels to promote traffic education within the community.

Mall Of The Emirates Records Over 100,000 Visitors On Opening Day Of Dubai Summer Surprises 2009

The annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) festival continues to act as a major attraction for visitors to the city’s malls, if the footfall figures for one major shopping and leisure centre are anything to go by. The opening ceremony for DSS at Mall of the Emirates on Thursday, June 11 attracted over 100,000 visitors from across the UAE, with opening celebrations this year being the longest ever in DSS history.

The 12-hour extravaganza, which kicked off at 10am, had a distinct carnival atmosphere, with prizes and surprises being announced regularly throughout the day. The marathon event saw many visitors who attended the proceedings walk away with free vouchers for meals, with a lucky few who had entered raffle draws winning gifts almost every hour. In addition to the prizes up for grabs, there were numerous activities and forms of entertainment on offer to celebrate the 12th year of Dubai’s summer shopping attraction.

Fuad Sharaf, Vice President, Mall of the Emirates, appeared delighted with the turnout and proceedings. “The ambience at the mall was simply superb,” he said. “There were surprises and activities being announced every hour and our footfall figures were up by about 20 per cent from our average weekend traffic, with a corresponding increase in sales,” he added.

DSS at Mall of the Emirates continues throughout the months of June, July and August, with a total of AED 2 million in prizes to be won. Each, week throughout the festival, two lucky shoppers spending a minimum of AED 300 at the centre will walk away with a cool AED 100,000 each, and the promotion is a first joint one along with its sister mall at the other side of Dubai, Deira City Centre.

Apart from this unique promotion, Mall of the Emirates is also offering a host of entertainment acts and interactive family activities for the duration of DSS.