DUBAI, 10 August 2007 — The first half of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS 2007) indicates that the 10-week regional summer event is well on its way to new records, even as huge numbers of tourists and residents are flocking to malls and Modhesh Fun City for the “ultimate summer shopping and entertainment experience.”

Participating outlets in the event registered sales revenues of AED347.9 million in the first five weeks of the event — the gold and electronics sectors having witnessed a big surge, while Modhesh Fun City, the largest indoor entertainment venue in the region, welcomed more than 200,000 visitors during the same period, translating to 40,000 visitors every week.

The favorable figures are being considered as a direct result of the new strategy, according to Ahmed ibn Saeed Al-Maktoum, president of the Department of Civil Aviation, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and chairman of Dubai Summer Festival (DSF) and DSS Supreme Committee.

Boosted by the ever-spiraling tourist inflows and the DSS bonanza, Dubai’s gold industry sales surged to AED200 million during the first half of the event, a 10 percent increase over the same period last year.

The shopping magnet of the region has over the past few years strengthened its position on the global arena as the “City of Gold” providing premium quality products catering to all tastes. The massive promotions launched by shopping centers and jewelry stores during DSS have contributed to the soaring popularity of Dubai’s gold industry, with the chances of winning gold products doubling every year, Shazad Ajmal, product manager at Al- Futtaim Watches & Jewellery, told Arab News.

There is a sharp rise in demand for diamond products, singling out “Pure Gold’s” focus on diamond and premium quality gold products.

Mohamed Ahmed Al-Nasser, general manager of Al-Fardan Jewellery said: “DSS helps draw in large numbers of tourists from around the globe to Dubai, a city that is now considered one among the top world tourist destinations.”

While the focus has been on family entertainment, the DSS Office has taken initiatives to emphasize on shopping opportunities available for visitors to Dubai this summer. To achieve a balance between entertainment and shopping, events for DSS 2007 were designed and organized to cater to all visitors, irrespective of age. There has been a significant increase in the number of adult visitors to entertainment events and venues.

“New strategy has achieved its purpose,” Saeed Al-Nabouda, CEO, DSS, said. “After five weeks, we can safely say that the new strategy has achieved its initial purpose, with a big part of that success being allied with the launch of ‘Ten Surprises’ for a whole 10 weeks.”

“DSS 2007 will be a milestone in the festival industry in the region,” Laila Suhail, DSS executive project director, said.

“We are overwhelmed by the initial figures we have obtained, but we are also very attentive to the fact that minor glitches are possible, especially with an event of such magnitude where we organize 200 events. Nevertheless, we have 400 employees and volunteers and we act fast and firm to resolve any such situations,” she said, adding that the DSS office strives to diversify its events to cater to all nationalities and age-groups. “The coming weeks have plenty to offer. We are confident that the initial figures will continue its rising trend and that DSS 2007 will constitute a milestone in the festival industry in the region,” she said.

Ibrahim Saleh, COO, DSS, said: “It is obvious that DSS 2007 has had its positive impact on several economic sectors in the city. The massive upward trend the retail sector is witnessing is largely due to two factors — highly successful entertainment events in shopping malls, attracting shoppers and visitors, and the ‘Shop and Win Millions’ promotion, the largest raffle promotion in DSS since its inception that has witnessed a sale of 1,360,000 coupons in just five weeks this year,” Ibrahim said.

Yousif Mubarak, DSS Events, Operations, and Services director, said: “The changes that we’ve made to Modhesh Fun City has paid its dividends as we are welcoming more than 40,000 visitors a week. Modhesh Fun City is now bigger, better, and affordable to all, especially after the announcement of price reductions. Modhesh Fun City is not about making profit, rather, it is about family entertainment for all. The coming five weeks will hold more events for all visitors.”

The launch of a big event for little ones today is one of the DSS’ events. Kids Fashion Week, a mega in-mall event, is a seven-day fashion event showcasing the latest summer and spring collections for children.

Two daily shows in addition to workshops on tailoring and accessories are being held throughout the event till Aug. 16.