Dubai Shopping festival 2018 dates

I want to go Dubai but mostly when the Dubai shopping festival is on, as I have heard it is something not to be missed.
So that this time round I don't miss the dates I thought I would find out before hand the Dubai shopping festival 2018 dates and then book my flight tickets accordingly.

 

Hello, @Nyra, welcome to the forum!

(Images from Emirates 247, Diego, Adbar, Chris and Akshay)​

Overview

When you think about Dubai, what thought comes first to your mind? Is it the beauty of the Arabian desert as if calling out to you? Or maybe the towering skyscrapers that dot the skyline of the city? Dubai truly stands out as a tourist destination because it offers both these features and more. Perhaps it is best known for being the Shopping Capital of the Middle East. It's inevitable as the city is home to traditional market areas locally known as souks. And with the changing times, the city has adapted with its addition of shopping malls. In fact, it is home to one of the largest shopping malls in the world, the Dubai Mall, which has its fair share of patrons all over the world. To celebrate the city's trademark when it comes to the shopping industry, the Dubai Shopping Festival is held every year, in which many malls and other market areas participate in the festivities.

What is the Dubai Shopping Festival?

Prior to the year 1996, before the Dubai Shopping Festival was conceptualized, Dubai was mainly known all over the world for its oil reservoirs. It was under the three leaders (Mohammed Alabbar, Mohammad Al Gergawi and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed) of the country's creative ideas and planning that the Dubai Shopping Festival was launched. In the beginning, the idea was just to establish Dubai as to what it has been gaining prominence for then, as a trade and merchant centre. Over time, the festival became successful, far beyond its humble beginnings in its launch in its first year. The festival also highlighted the unique hospitality and warmth of the tourism industry of Dubai.

So what can you expect in the Dubai Shopping Festival? The festival is more than just an event, it is an experience of a lifetime. It's where shopping becomes so much more, because you're not just immersed into great discount rates, you're also part of the fun activities. For instance, you can participate in daily raffles held in various souks and malls. This is yet another unique feature of the festival, as the private merchants, meaning shop owners, are the ones who are providing for the prizes in these raffles. Truly the epitome of a successful public and private venture, which you can't miss when in Dubai. As what has been mentioned, going during the Dubai Shopping Festival is not just an event, it's something that would leave a mark on you, a memory you won't be able to forget.

Participating malls in the 2017 Dubai Shopping Festival were varied, including the following: Al Ghurair Centre, Dubai Mall, Etihad Mall, Karama Centre, Dubai Outlet Mall and many more. Also not missing are the souks, leading the pack is the Gold Souk, which has hundreds of shops selling golds in various carats and as well as other jewelries. Other souks worth checking out are the Textile Souk, Spice Souk and Perfume Souk. You also can't miss visiting the Global Village, which showcases handicrafts and other items from foreign countries in a village-like setup. Of the same year, a spectacle was showcased in the Festival Bay, whereby the largest water screen projection was created for the entertainment of guests. This has put the Dubai Shopping Festival, at least for that year only, in the Guinness Book of World Records.

When is the Dubai Shopping Festival Going to be Held in 2018?

According to the official website of the Dubai Corporation of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, the Dubai Shopping Festival is going to be held from January 1 to January 31 of 2018. Usually, the festival is held during the first quarter of each year, and it's a month-long celebration. The best part is that each year offers something different for tourists. It's never the same shows nor items so you can look forward to a different experience each year. Let's take a look back at the Dubai Shopping Festival held in the past years, their schedules back then and their highlights.

✰ Dubai Shopping Festival Over the Years ✰

Year	Schedule	Highlight	Year	Schedule	Highlight
1995	Conception	The Beginning of a Legacy	2007	December 20 to February 2	Double the Fun (Coinciding with 2006)
1996	February 16 to March 16	Estimated 1.6 Million Tourists	2008	January 24 to February 24	Guest International Designers
1997	February 16 to March 16	Launching of Global Village	2009	January 15 to February 15	Over 40 Shopping Malls That Participated
1998	February 16 to March 16	Estimated 2.2 Million Tourists	2010	January 28 to February 28	Focus on Music
1999	February 15 to March 15	Theme: Family Gathering	2011	January 20 to February 20	Guest Artists Pharrell and Amy Winehouse
2000	March 1 to March 31	Record-Breaking Number of European Tourists	2012	January 5 to February 5	Indigenous Fireworks Display
2001	March 1 to March 31	Raffle for 31 Rolls Royce Cars	2013	January 3 to February 3	Moving Fashion Show
2002	March 1 to March 31	Raffle for 41 Kilos of Gold	2014	January 2 to February 2	Vertical Catwalk
2003	January 15 to February 15	Night Souk Theme	2015	January 1 to February 1	Longest Handmade Gold Chain
2004	January 15 to February 15	Estimated 3.1 Million Tourists	2016	January 1 to February 1	International Guests Galore
2005	January 13 to February 13	Lexus Mega Raffle	2017	December 26 to January 28	Funky Outdoor Shopping
2006	December 20 to February 2	Double the Fun (Coinciding with 2007)	2018	January 1 to January 31	Surprise, Surprise

The table above showcases the beginning, the development and the present state of the Dubai Shopping Festival. Aside from the schedules for each year, you can also view the highlights of each. So for instance, during its first true year of launching in 1996, you can see that it garnered around 1.6 million tourists alone. Or that in the years 2006 and 2007, a double the celebration festival was held. You can also see just how big the festival is, judging by the international, even Hollywood, guests that were invited to participate in it. Not to mention the very opulent and expensive giveaways in raffles that were conducted by the management and its members.

Conclusion

This ends our guide on the Dubai Shopping Festival. The dates and schedules for this festival varies every year. You can see their usual dates and duration using the guide above. For the year 2018, the festival would be held from January 1 to January 31. You can also visit the official website of the Dubai Corporation of Tourism & Commerce Marketing for further information about this festival. Happy shopping!