Dubai festival attracts visitors

Customers are flocking to the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) to purchase goods and soak up the atmosphere.

High visitor numbers are in contrast to those seen in the global retail industry as people with property in Dubai take advantage of discounts and attractions at the event, which runs until February 15th.

General manager of the Mall of the Emirates, Fuad Sharaf, said the festival is popular with retailers and customers alike.

"For Dubai, going ahead with the DSF, it shows that the economy is still strong. The DSF traffic is great as footfall numbers have been good," he told Gulf News.

Between 70,000 and 80,000 people have been visiting the mall on weekdays, with weekend traffic averaging 110,000, proving the popularity of the area.

Over DH 10 billion (£1.97 billion) was spent in total at last year's festival, with similar numbers expected for 2009.

The 2008 DSF had 3.2 million visitors, as people owning property in Dubai took advantage of the special offers.