Dubai Shopping Festival acts as a “discovery engine”

According to Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) today is no longer confined to malls or sales periods, but functions as a unifying framework for commerce, culture and community across Dubai.

“DSF has evolved into a citywide platform that unites commerce, creativity, culture and community under one umbrella,” Al Khaja says. “What began as a retail festival is now a catalyst for seasonal energy across the entire city.”

That evolution is deliberate. As Dubai’s winter period has become its busiest tourism window, DSF has shifted from being an event people attend to a season the city collectively experiences.

“It amplifies the winter period by creating interconnected moments across malls, neighbourhoods, outdoor destinations and cultural touchpoints,” he explains.

Today, DSF stretches from beaches and heritage districts to mountains and outdoor hubs, activating spaces that would once have sat far outside the boundaries of a shopping festival.

“It’s no longer limited by traditional definitions of a ‘shopping festival’; it’s a generator of citywide experiences that move residents, visitors and businesses,” Al Khaja says.

Local creativity on a global stage

One of DSF’s most intentional shifts has been the way it places local creativity alongside global brands. This, Al Khaja insists, is not incidental.

“It’s absolutely intentional. One of DSF’s core missions is to elevate homegrown talent alongside global names, because that is the authentic story of Dubai today.”

Emerging designers and SMEs are featured through outdoor markets and mall activations, while regional musicians and creators appear in e& DSF Nights, Candlelight concerts in Hatta, and even behind the creative execution of drone shows.

“The festival acts as a discovery engine, giving UAE brands the same visibility and footfall as international names, and creating pathways for scale,” Al Khaja says.