Airline Fares Are Finally Starting to Drop

If you are fond of travelling, this is an excellent time to do so as airlines are offering heavily reduced fares.

Airline companies in the UAE have told Khaleej Times that they still have a healthy rate of ticket bookings, but not as much as before the global crunch unravelled. They are coming up with ‘crazy’ packages to lure tourists to the UAE.

Emirates Airlines, for instance, is offering special Dubai Shopping Festival packages to its customers who fly to or stop over in Dubai, regardless of the class of travel.

“They can choose from a wide selection of 20 hotels at highly competitive prices starting from as low as $55 (Dh200) per person per night,” Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ senior vice-president, commercial operations Gulf Middle East and Iran, told Khaleej Times recently.

Kazim said travellers could opt for a luxurious experience at Atlantis, The Palm, the renowned Jumeirah Emirates Towers or the Grand Hyatt Dubai, according to their personal preferences.

The offer, he said, could be had by booking for a minimum of three nights, with the option of extension.

Similarly, Malaysia Airlines is giving a juicy offer to travellers to Beirut, Lebanon and Karachi, Pakistan.

Dubai-Beirut return in economy class costs only Dh100 and in business class Dh1,800. Dubai-Karachi travellers can go in economy class for Dh50 and business class for Dh600. These packages are valid for travel till February 28. The offer ends on February 10, exclusive of taxes and surcharges…SOURCE

DSF Opening Ceremony Shelved

Festivities for DSF 2009 opening shelved

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/01/12/10274570.html

01/13/2009 09:44 AM | Staff Report

Dubai: Shaikh Ahmad bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of the Dubai Shopping Festival Office (DSFO) Supreme Committee, announced on Tuesday that there will be no official opening ceremony for DSF 2009 in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai as an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza.

The announcement was made by Shaikh Ahmad in a meeting attended by members of the DSF Organizing Committee in addition to Laila Suhail, CEO of DSF Office, Ebrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of DSF Office, and other senior officials of DSF Office.

However, all DSF 2009 activities will go on as planned from January 15 to February 15.

“DSF 2009 coincides with a turbulent period of political turmoil in the Middle East and as per the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid, the festivities marking the beginning of DSF stand cancelled as an act of solidarity towards the people and our brothers in Gaza,” said Shaikh Ahmad.

During the meeting, Shaikh Ahmad also thanked the sponsors of DSF and the various government departments involved in the organisng of the festival for their continued support to the event.

“DSF has witnessed a series of successes in the past 13 years that has effectively made it a distinguished regional phenomenon. While being an inspiration for many similar initiatives to be launched in the region, it is notable that DSF is the only one that has excelled in achieving its objectives and still going strong after 13 years. DSF 2009 will be another milestone in the festival’s illustrious history,” he added.

Barring the official opening ceremony, all events for DSF 2009 will go on as planned…

Dubai Shopping Festival is Coming, But Will It Be Doomed By the Economic Downturn?

With just a fortnight to go, the mother of all shopping festivals — the Dubai Shopping Festival 2009 (DSF) — is coming back to town.

Scheduled to begin on January 15, the 14^th edition of the DSF is set to open at a time of global financial turmoil, but the organisers say DSF 2009 will deliver.

Dubai looks her best during the DSF when every nook and corner of the city is lit up with over a million lights and colourful decorations.

Over 3.2 million people visited DSF 2008 with the expenditure touching Dh10 billion.

The participating retail outlets of the DSF and the various shopping malls are expecting a windfall. With the December sale already in session at the various retail outlets across the city, products are being sold at discounts of over 70 per cent.

Though they have not yet announced the promotional offers for the season, retail outlets have pledged their entire support to the DSFO (Dubai Shopping Festival Office) by lining up attractive discounts and raffle draws to lure the crowds into the shopping malls and retail outlets.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman of Dubai Shopping Festival Office (DSFO) Supreme Committee said the UAE economy is robust enough to ride out the current difficulties and continue to achieve good economic growth rates.

“There is a tireless endeavour to tackle the economic turmoil and hold events that can contribute to reviving several economic sectors, primarily retail trade and tourism,” he said.

“This year’s edition of DSF comes at a time when the entire world is experiencing an acute period of economic crisis with a number of leading world economies having drifted into economic recession.”

He stressed on the importance of strong partnership between the private and public sectors…SOURCE

Planning committee unveils Shopping Festival plans

11/23/2008 12:18 AM | Staff Report

Dubai: The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) organising committee held its first meeting for DSF 2009 last

Thursday at Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport.

The 14th edition of the festival will begin on January 15 and continue until February 15.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, and Jamal Al Hai, Vice President of Strategy, Dubai Airports, welcomed the committee at Terminal 3. The meeting was presided over by Ebrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of the DSF Office, in addition to a host of government dignitaries and officials who comprise the committee.

Three new government departments have joined the committee this year -Community Development Authority, Dubai Sports Council, and Dubai Event Management Corporation – taking the number of departments represented in the DSF Organising Committee to 21.

The gathering was briefed on the outlines of the upcoming DSF edition, and plans to ensure the smooth functioning of DSF 2009 were also discussed. Saleh began by thanking the government representatives for their support for DSF and their continued contribution in promoting Dubai as a leading global city.