Oman travel: Dubai Summer Surprises, be a part of this gala festival

Lifestyle Tuesday 25/July/2017 20:43 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman travel: Dubai Summer Surprises, be a part of this gala festival

Shopperholics assemble, because it’s that time of year again across the border that there is a sale of epic proportions underway. You’ll need heroic stamina in order to take on the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) which runs until August 12 at malls across the Emirates with discounts from 30 per cent up to 75 per cent in thousands of stores. Of course Dubai has built up a legendary reputation for retail, being home to the largest mall in the world, and its summer sales are now in their 20th year.

But as well as enhancing the shopping experience with events and promotions galore at the malls, organisers of the DSS this year are also focusing on what to do when you are not ringing up the tills, or perhaps offering alternatives to the bored children and partners while you indulge.

Shoppers will enjoy “mid-week madness”, say organisers, with 72 hours of sales from Monday until Wednesday each week during DSS, while Friday Surprise will offer people another shopping deal each Friday throughout DSS. Details of the discounts will only be revealed 24 hours beforehand so shoppers are encouraged to keep an eye on the DSS website and social channels to make sure they don’t miss out.

The DSS will culminate in the Grand Finale Sale, commencing on August 10 and finishing on 12 August. The Grand Finale Sale will feature the very last price cuts of summer, giving shoppers a final opportunity to snap up the best discounts, before the sales period is over.
While Dubai Mall reigns supreme in the world as the largest shopping mall, bargain hunters should not ignore other more bespoke locations while seeking to max out the credit card.

Destinations such as Mercato Mall near the Jumeirah Beach has embraced the summer sales festival bringing a riot of colour to the aisles. Acrobats, BMX bicycle stunt artists, and musical performers add a vibrancy to this already light and airy shopping destination.
Themed on old Italy with piazzas and cobbled streets, Mercato is a breath of fresh air from the modern bling that is so associated with other malls (I especially liked it for parents with a good range of shops catering for children). Also lunch at Jordanian Azkadenya is a real Arabic treat.

Also worth knowing that Mercato are giving one coupon to each shopper who spends AED 200 in any shop for a chance to win one of three prizes; a GMC Yukon Denali car, a four-night family trip for four people to Mauritius or jewellery valued at Dh25,000.
If you want to go super upmarket then head to the new City Walk mall, just the other side of the Sheikh Zayed Road from Dubai Mall.

This gleaming mall features all the high end fashion you could wish for, including BHV Marais, a department store loved by Parisians. City Walk is also putting on an immersive ‘Under the Sea’ show throughout DSS, using LED lights to create stunning light sculptures, plus for the children there will be live magic shows and treasure hunts. City Walk is also a great focus for the ‘away from the shops’ experience for family members, such as teenagers or little ones.

The City Walk project also plays host to the utterly charming The Green Planet. This is a really unique attraction in Dubai, bringing a rain forest to the desert. This eco attraction is magical for little ones with exotic birds circling a giant tree at its centre. As you descend through the dense canopy interactive displays abound to teach your youngsters about nature, but they’ll be too busy shouting with delight at the colourful wings around them, or the frogs, the lizards, the sloth (he’ll be asleep), the snakes (safely handled).

It is a wonderful time out from the shops and especially a great place for one partner to distract the young ones while the other continues the serious business of bargain hunting.
If there are teenagers in the family then they’ll be keen to check out Hub Zero, also part of City Walk, which features a virtual reality arenas and 3D laser shooting.

If they still crave action after that then IMG Worlds of Adventure is ready to answer the call, with the superheroes such as the Avengers and Spider-Man on hand. The park itself is an epic endeavour, being the world’s largest indoor theme park, split into three fun zones (Marvel, Cartoon Network, and Lost Valley) plus a retail and dining Boulevard (think Main Street, DisneyWorld).

For young adults not yet ‘into’ shopping there are thrills galore to be had, top five recommendations from me being the Spider-Man Doc Oc’s Revenge rollercoaster, the Thor Thunder Spin, The Velociraptor, The Predator, and The Haunted Hotel. Maybe eat lunch afterwards is all I’ll say.

Dubai’s focus on tying the shopping bonanza together with entertainment means a bargain-hunting foray over the border can be turned into a mini-family vacation no matter what age the children.

Of course at its heart DSS remains the most super of super sales and shoppers will need all their stamina because there is a lot of retail therapy to be had. So much so you’ll need somewhere pretty comfortable to relax and recharge at the end of each day. Choosing a hotel in the vast city can be tricky, but if you want something new and cool then head for Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai, brand new on The Palm, and spend some time relaxing by its Miami-eque pool.

If you still need more information on the Dubai Summer Surprises then visit its website www.dubaisummersurprises.com or follow @DSSsocial for the latest information.

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