Crocs ventures into Abu Dhabi with two new concept stores

UAE, December 2010 – Crocs announces it will expand its operation in the UAE with the opening of two new stores in Abu Dhabi during 2011.



Already present in the Middle East are six Crocs concept stores and one outlet store and this expansion, as part of Crocs’ Feel Good Revolution mission to bring profound fun and comfort to the world, will bring the number of outlets in the UAE alone to nine.



The first store set to open in February in the capital will be located in the new Dalma Mall in the Musaffah area. This 97 square meters store will debut the new spring/summer collections, which are set to arrive in the country the same month, as well as Crocs’ perennial favourites, the clogs.



The second store, slated for launch in April, will be located in the new Mushrif Mall, on the Airport Road. This store will span 76 square meters and stock a wide range of new styles as well as the best-selling kids shoes.



“These new stores are both in high traffic areas and will ensure the popular Crocs shoes are more readily available to key markets,” said Michael Brown, distributor of Crocs in the Middle East. ”Abu Dhabi is an important market for us and we expect the two new stores to do very well”



Since launching in the USA in 2002, Crocs have evolved into a global phenomenon and are now sold in 129 countries. They are constructed using the proprietary closed-cell resin Croslite™, a substantial innovation in footwear producing soft, comfortable, lightweight, non-marking and odor-resistant shoes that conform snugly to your feet.

The Crocs Feel Good Revolution

Feeling Good from the Start

In 2002 Crocs emerged at the Ft. Lauderdale boat show. But these Crocs didn’t bite. They made people smile. They were a revolutionary new view on footwear with a colorful and comforting soul that made people feel good – both physically and emotionally.



Crocs started a movement...



The Crocs Feel Good Revolution is not a manufactured message pushed on people. It is a movement powered by the people that bubbles up from the streets. The Crocs Feel Good Revolution inspires an authentic feeling of fun, giving permission to cast off the normal boundaries of style to be colorful and casual, but above all to be comfortable.



Welcome to Crocs Feel Good Revolution.





About Crocs, Inc.

A world leader in innovative casual footwear for men, women and children, Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), offers several distinct shoe collections with more than 120 styles to suit every lifestyle. As lighthearted as they are lightweight, Crocs™ footwear provides profound comfort and support for any occasion and every season. All Crocs™ branded shoes feature Croslite™ material, a proprietary, revolutionary technology that produces soft, non-marking, and odor-resistant shoes that conform to your feet.



Crocs™ products are sold in 129 countries. Every day, millions of Crocs™ shoe lovers around the world enjoy the exceptional form, function, versatility and feel-good qualities of these shoes while at work, school and play.



Visit http://www.crocs.com/ for additional information.





About CrosliteTM Technology

Croslite is a unique and proprietary material found in every pair of CrocsTM. Croslite technology helps Crocs create soft, lightweight, non-marking, and odor-resistant footwear. Research shows that Croslite helps to reduce muscular fatigue and peak pressure on the feet while standing and walking, as well as offering relief to the musculoskeletal system to improve posture. Many Crocs shoe styles have been certified by US Ergonomics.

Landmark Group Named ‘Retail Company of the Year’ at Arabian Business Awards 2010

Dubai-UAE: 6 December, 2010 – Landmark Group, the region’s leading retail and hospitality conglomerate, today announced it has been named ‘Retail Company of the Year’ at the Arabian Business Awards 2010.

Recognising outstanding business achievements in the region across 15 categories, the award ceremony was held at Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa on 30 November.

Vipen Sethi, CEO, Landmark Group, said: “It is an honour to be acknowledged as the ‘Retail Company of the Year’. Landmark Group has grown consistently over the past 37 years, and while our journey has been incredible, it is the support of a results-oriented team that has made this possible.

“The Group’s consistent track record of growth in the retail space has remained a profound testimony to the management’s entrepreneurial approach that inspires individuals to strive harder. We have always banked on our core belief – creating exceptional value for all the lives we touch – which has been the guiding philosophy to the Group’s success in every venture.”

Among the recent milestones for Landmark Group was the region-wide launch of its rebranded loyalty programme – Shukran – extending a single loyalty platform where customers can seamlessly earn and redeem points across more than 40 brands in different sectors.

The annual Arabian Business Awards additionally recognise companies in categories such as technology, aviation, retail banking, property, hospitality, media, telecom, investment banking, healthcare, education and small business. Individuals are honoured for their achievements as Businesswoman, Businessman and Lifetime Achievement of the Year.

The awards which are in their 11^th edition this year, have built the reputation for being amongst the most credible industry awards in the region. An illustrious panel of judges, chaired by Arabtec Founder Riad Kamal, went through entries across various categories to arrive upon winners. Landmark Group, joins the ranks of Batelco, Alwaleed Foundation, Union National Bank, GE Middle East and other industry leaders that were recognised in their categories this year.

Landmark Group has a presence across all categories within the retail sector and diversified into areas such as hospitality and leisure. A leader in the Middle East retail industry with operations across 15 markets, the Group has successfully established its procurement might and offers a high value to customers.

About Landmark Group

Founded in 1973 in Bahrain, the Landmark Group has successfully grown into one of the largest and most successful retail organizations in the Middle East and India. An international, diversified retail conglomerate that encourages entrepreneurship to consistently deliver exceptional value, the Group operates over 900 stores encompassing over thirteen million square feet across Middle East, India, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen and Pakistan (franchise operation).

Landmark Group employs more than 32,000 employees and provides a value-driven product range for the family through its core retail concepts: Centrepoint, Babyshop, Shoe Mart, Splash, Lifestyle, Beautybay, Iconic, Home Centre, Q Home Décor, Max, Shoexpress, E-Max and international franchise brands such as New Look, Reiss, Aftershock, Koton, Kurt Geiger, Ecco, Pablosky amongst others.

Besides retail, the Group has also diversified in the leisure, food and hospitality segments with Fun City, Gourmet Station, Spaces, Citymax Hotels, Fitness First and Foodmark, the restaurant division which includes own and franchise brands like Mango Tree, The Meat Company, Carluccio's, La Gaufrette, Bazerkan, Ushna amongst others.

Dubai Outlet Mall Ready for Eid

The Eid Festival at Dubai Outlet Mall will be a shopper’s dream by offering high quality garments, shoes, bags, home furnishing, toys, fashion accessories and hundreds of other products at unbelievable bargains.

To mark the occasion, Dubai Outlet Mall is hosting spectacular lighting and decorations around the mall along with festive entertainment such as Tanoura Dance and much more.  Families can enjoy the first Chuck E Cheese’s leisure and entertainment outlet in the UAE as well as the fun and colourful young kids’ area in the Dome.  There is also a wonderful array of restaurants and cafes, along with a sumptuous Food Court to satisfy your hunger.

CITIZEN OPENS 100TH STORE IN THE GULF

Citizen Watch Company, the world’s largest watchmaker from Japan, opened its first exclusive boutique in the UAE at Lamcy Plaza, Dubai, recently. The outlet is part of the Japanese Brand’s ongoing expansion in the region with several stores opening in countries like Oman and Egypt.



Speaking during the inauguration of the new 50 M2 boutique in Lamcy Plaza, Mr. Toshio Tokura, Senior Managing Director of Citizen Watch Co. Ltd., said the inauguration coincided with the 35th anniversary of Citizen in the UAE. “The Middle East and the UAE has always been an important market for Citizen and thanks to our partner Juma Al Majid, we have been successfully present in the UAE for 35 years.”



Along with this new boutique, the company maintains 400 point of sales (POS) across the Gulf countries which are strategically located in shopping malls and prime retail streets.



During the inauguration, Citizen’s Global Radio Controlled Chronograph was introduced. The watch is the first analogue chronograph capable of receiving time signals on radio wave and automatically adjusts the time to the most accurate time which is the atomic time. This watch is powered by Eco Drive movement, the revolutionary concept from Citizen where the watch harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial source and converts it into electrical energy.



During the last 80 years Citizen has expanded its business throughout the world and has achieved recognition as a global brand. The past 30-year period has coincided with the company’s dramatic rise to its current position as the world’s largest watchmaker, a distinction Citizen has held every year since 1986. Beyond sheer size, Citizen is also recognized as a worldwide leader in advanced technology and with the introduction of the Global Radio Controlled Watch, Citizen reaffirms its position in the watch making industry.

UAE Nationals dominate The Dubai Mall raffle winners

Dubai, UAE; May 27, 2009: The ‘Win Millions’ raffle at Festival@The Dubai Mall has a clear domination by UAE Nationals, who have won 40 daily raffles for AED 10,000 each and one weekly draw for AED 100,000 with only two days remaining for the shopping and entertainment extravaganza to conclude.

Three expatriates – an Iranian, South African and Pakistani each – also won AED 100,000 each at the weekly draws. The Iranian expatriate, Mr Kaveh Oyar Hosseini also got AED 50,000 as bonus prize money for being present in the mall during the draw. The grand draw for AED 1 million will be held on the closing day of the Festival on Friday (May 29, 2009).

Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The winner profile of Festival@The Dubai Mall highlights the cosmopolitan character of Dubai. Apart from the UAE nationals, the daily winners of over 100 customers at the mall include nationals from the Middle East, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, CIS countries and USA.”

He added: “The multi-cultural profile of winners also highlights the appeal of The Dubai Mall to people of all nationalities, several of them tourists. The chief draw of the mall as a shopping destination is the diversity of choices it offers, with over 900 outlets including several flagship and Middle East debuts of the world’s leading brands.”

To participate in the Win Millions raffles, customers only have to spend AED 500 at any of the retail and/or F&B outlets. They also get bargain deals from participating outlets.
The month-long Festival@The Dubai Mall, also featuring a Grand Bentley raffle and mall-wide entertainment, will conclude on May 29. It is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of Emaar Hospitality Group

Giordano recognised as Best Service Performance Brand for excellence in customer care

Dubai, UAE, May 27, 2009: Having been recognized for its high standards of service, Giordano Fashions LLC was awarded Best Service Performance Brand by the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, as part of the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme.

Representing ETA Group and accepting the award on behalf of Giordano Fashions LLC, Ahmed Salahuddin, Director, ETA Group, said, “Service has always been top priority for our operations, both in-store and back office, which adds to our customers’ overall experience and most importantly, their perception of the brand. We are constantly improving on our existing services and store facilities, reinventing ways to enhance Giordano’s interaction with its customers. Building a relationship with the customer is key, as every satisfied customer is a Giordano brand ambassador.”

In line with their 2009 strategy, Giordano continues to focus on delivering a brand complemented by high quality service, offering the customer an enjoyable and comfortable shopping experience.

Since 1993, Giordano has rapidly expanded in the Middle East and India. With a current store count of 205, the company has exceeded their goal of 200 stores by 2010. Giordano opened 24 stores during the last six months further strengthening their presence in the region.

“Our goal is to continue to branch out into new locations, making our stores more accessible to customers. We have opened stores in most of the new shopping malls across the Emirates, including our flagship store of over 4,000 square feet at The Dubai Mall, putting us at key locations,” said Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director, Giordano Fashions LLC.

The company also has aggressive plans to expand within Saudi Arabia, with five new stores opening in 2009, one in Makkah, Madinah and Al Khobar, and two in Jeddah.

Globally, Giordano operates over 2,000 stores across 40 countries, and in 2008, the brand entered Mauritius and Azerbaijan, adding two more countries in the MENA region. In India, Giordano opened three more stores and five in-store counters, taking the total number to 16 since the launch of their first store in 2006.

During 2009, Giordano’s strategy will be to keep abreast with the changing trends in consumer fashion and the customer’s current needs, therefore building on the principles that have helped the company sustain growth.

Commenting on the new direction, Chugani said, “Over the years, Giordano has earned the respect and trust of its customers who demand quality, good value and excellent customer service, even more now. Our strengths lie in our ability to deliver the essentials that are timeless and relevant whatever the season. This year, we have identified our customers’ needs and are realigning our priorities to mirror those of our customers. We are going back to basics.”

Giordano is committed to making a positive impact on the community, following the principle of “doing well by doing good” through community involvement and environment protection. Earlier this year, Giordano announced a global program to convert all the stores to use energy saving lighting by July 2011. “In 2008, a large percentage of stores were converted and the results were encouraging, reflecting a reduction of approximately 318 tons in CO2 emission a year. This proves that even the smallest of efforts can make a big impact,” said Chugani.

Focused on supporting its staff, Giordano believes that the success of the organization depends on the contribution of its people. During these challenging times, Giordano has reviewed costs and optimized efficiency in the organisation’s practices to ensure staff security and stability. Giordano supports its staff’s personal and professional development, encouraging staff to grow within the organization.

“We are proud of the high retention of staff we have. Almost all the senior management members have been with us since inception,” concluded Chugani.

Final day prize bonanza at Festival@The Dubai Mall: AED 1 million and Bentley car up for grabs

Dubai, UAE; May 27, 2009: One lucky shopper will win the grand prize of AED 1 million on Friday (May 29, 2009) as Festival@The Dubai Mall, the month-long shopping and entertainment extravaganza at the world’s largest shopping and leisure destination, draws to a close.

The Grand Bentley raffle draw for a luxurious, four-door Bentley Continental Flying Spur will also be held on May 29, adding to the excitement of the closing day celebration. Several entertainers will join in the mall-wide entertainment in a fitting grand finale of the family festival that has attracted thousands of visitors over four weeks.

Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The Festival@The Dubai Mall is one of the most unique mall-wide retail promotion events ever undertaken in Dubai. The total cash prize package of AED 3.1 million adds to the excitement of shopping with visitors having the extensive choice of 900 retail stores including 160 F&B outlets.”

He added: “The closing day will be a bonanza with two grand draws – one for AED 1 million in the Win Millions raffle, and the other for the Bentley car. Two lucky winners will join over 100 lucky customers, who have already won cash prizes ranging from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000.”

Visitors to The Dubai Mall can enter the ‘Win Millions’ raffle for the AED 1 million draw and a daily draw of AED 10,000 on Thursday, by spending a total of AED 500 in any of the retail and/or F&B outlet, while also availing of bargain deals from the participating outlets. They can collect the raffle coupons from the customer service desks.

Raffle coupons for the Grand Bentley draw are sold out. Only 5,000 tickets, each priced AED 200, were on sale to win the coveted Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Ticket-holders also have access to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo walk-through tunnel for closer encounters with the 33,000 aquatic animals.

The Festival@The Dubai Mall also featured Bid 2 Win, an innovative auction for premium products; bargain deals on various global brands and mall-wide entertainment. It is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of Emaar Hospitality Group.

Grand Bentley raffle draw on closing day of Festival@The Dubai Mall

Dubai, UAE; May 24, 2009: The much-awaited Grand Bentley raffle draw will be held on the closing day of the Festival@The Dubai Mall on May 29, 2009. The Grand Bentley draw is one of the key attractions of the month-long shopping and entertainment extravaganza at the mall.

Only 5,000 tickets, each priced AED 200, were offered for sale for the Grand Bentley raffle. The lucky winner will get a luxurious, four-door Bentley Continental Flying Spur, which is currently displayed in the mall. Winners can also opt for a buy-back guarantee on the car.

Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The Grand Bentley raffle was one of the talking point events of the Festival@The Dubai Mall. With all 5,000 tickets already sold out, we will host the draw on the closing day of the festival.”

He added: “The Festival@The Dubai Mall has been a strong crowd-puller to the mall drawing over 750,000 people every week. The various opportunities to win millions of dirhams apart from the Bentley further added to visitor appeal.”

The Grand Bentley raffle ticket also offered the free access for ticket-holders to The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo walk-through tunnel for closer encounters with the 33,000 aquatic animals.

Mr Bob Ferguson, a Scottish visitor to the UAE, is looking forward to the results of the Grand Bentley raffle. “I bought the raffle coupon as a birthday gift for my friend. I have not won at raffles but I believe that my friend, who lives here, will be lucky and get to take home the Bentley.”

A self-confessed luxury-car enthusiast and Egyptian expatriate resident in Dubai, Mr Sami Elgabri has also entered the raffle on behalf of his friend. “The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is a dream car, and all its aspects are perfectly finished. It will make a perfect car to own,” he said.

The Festival@The Dubai Mall also features Bid 2 Win, an innovative auction for premium products; bargain deals on various global brands and mall-wide entertainment. It is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of Emaar Hospitality Group.

AED 20 billion investment in The Dubai Mall drives retail growth and creates 10,000 new jobs in Dubai

Dubai, UAE; May 17, 2009: Emaar Malls Group and its retailer partners have together invested AED 20 billion to develop the world’s largest shopping mall and create 10,000 new jobs.

The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination covering 12 million square feet, equivalent to 200 football fields. And soaring visitor numbers are driving business, with mall retailers reporting a 33 per cent jump in sales from December to April, said Mr Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, in an interview with Pan Arab television station Al Arabiya.

The Dubai Mall is also now the region’s single largest new employment generator, creating 10,000 jobs this year. Retailers have created an estimated 7,500 jobs and Emaar Malls Group has hired thousands more people to work in management, operations, sales, marketing, security, parking and other services.

Mr. Alabbar said: “The Dubai Mall is a catalyst for Dubai’s economy, driving the retail sector and employment. The formal opening of the mall on May 8, 2009, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, attracted a record 160,000 visitors – over 10 per cent of the city’s population. With 750,000 visitors every week during the Festival@The Dubai Mall, the mall is on course to achieve annual visitor traffic of 37 million.”

“The Dubai Mall is one of the most significant investments in retailing in the world. It has introduced 165 new retail brands and concepts into the Middle East and unveiled flagship stores of international brands. The world famous department stores Galeries Lafayette and Bloomingdale’s are making their Middle East debut at the mall. This reflects the strength of Dubai’s retail sector and the appeal of The Dubai Mall to the global retail industry,” explained Mr. Alabbar.

According to recent research by CB Richard Ellis, Dubai is the fourth most-attractive city for international retailers next only to London, Paris and New York City. The study mapped the global footprint of 280 of the world’s top retailers across 67 countries. It revealed that 46 per cent of these global retailers are in Dubai compared to London (60 per cent), Paris (49 per cent) and New York (47 per cent).

With 1,200 retailers, The Dubai Mall has the largest collection of international brand names under one roof. If all the shop fronts were lined up, they would stretch 23 kilometres. More than 900 shops are already open, and the remaining 300 will open in the next three months. Visitors can also choose from an array of international cuisine at two food courts with a total seating capacity of 3,000. The mall also has over 14,000 car parking spaces.

Leisure attractions at the mall include The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo featuring over 33,000 aquatic animals including sharks and rays, and with the world’s largest acrylic viewing panel and a walk-through tunnel; the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice-Rink; and The Waterfall, an indoor spectacle that traverses the four floors of the mall. The daily shows at The Dubai Fountain are an added draw for visitors.

Located on the 30-acre Burj Dubai Lake, The Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest performing fountain. Designed by California-based WET, the creators of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, The Dubai Fountain is over 900 ft (275 metres) in length. It features powerful water nozzles which shoot water sprays to heights of over 500 ft (150 metres) – equivalent to that of a 50-storey building. Over 6,600 WET Superlights – the most advanced incandescent large fountain lights available today - and 25 colour projectors will create a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different water expressions that will appeal to visitors.

Other entertainment features opening in the next three months include KidZania®, an innovative children’s ‘edu-tainment’ concept that is being introduced to the region for the first time; SEGA Republic, a 76,000 sq-ft indoor theme park; and the 22-screen REEL Cinemas with a total capacity of 2,800 seats.

More retail therapy is AED 1 million wish-list of shoppers

Dubai, UAE; May 18, 2009: With only 10 days to go for the grand draw for AED 1 million, marking the grand finale of Festival@The Dubai Mall, visitors are flocking to the mall to enter the Win Millions raffle. By 29 May, a total of AED 3.1 million worth in prize money would have been won by shoppers during the month-long retail and entertainment extravaganza.

Since the festival began, over 90 lucky shoppers, from 24 different countries have won prizes ranging from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000. The Middle East, Europe, USA and Asia have all been represented, with UAE Nationals being the most frequent winners.

Shoppers are excited about the prospect of winning AED 1 million, and most of them have more retail spend on their wish-list if they happen to win the grand prize.

Palestinian National Ali Yasin, 26, would love to buy a sail boat. “I would also like to travel the world especially to South America for the culture, Africa for the nature and Antarctica for the nothingness that exists there. The idea of traveling or sailing into nothing is very appealing. And if I still have any remaining money I would buy all sorts of gifts for my family.”

Lebanese Bride-to-be, Amal Fayad, 24, said: “Oh, I would buy so many things with a million dirhams right now. First I would throw a bigger wedding in Lebanon, buy more clothes, and travel to more destinations for my honeymoon and of course I would save more money for our future life together.”

Saqib Iqbal, a stock broker from Los Angeles who was on vacation in Dubai said: “I would invest all the money is stocks because now is the time when you can buy cheap and then can sell at a higher price.”

On the festivities at The Dubai Mall he said, “It is awesome. The mall is huge and so much bigger than what we have in LA. I would come again to Dubai…definitely.”

Launched on April 30, 2009, Festival@The Dubai Mall is a month-long retail extravaganza with bargain deals, raffle draws and colourful entertainment regaling visitors. Customers spending an aggregate amount of AED 500 at the retail and F&B outlets over the festival period can collect raffle coupons to participate in the Win Millions draw.

In addition to five daily draws for AED 10,000, a weekly draw for AED 100,000 is held every Saturday with the winners standing to gain a bonus of AED 50,000 if they are present at the mall during the draw. The final draw will be held on May 29, at 10pm, where one lucky winner will win AED 1 million.

Festival@The Dubai Mall is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, Emaar Hospitality Group’s five star hotel brand.

Emaar creates 1,600 new jobs in shopping malls and hospitality businesses in Dubai

Dubai, UAE; May 11, 2009: Emaar Properties is creating over 1,600 new jobs in its shopping malls & retail and hospitality & leisure businesses. With the new addition, Emaar will have nearly 4,000 employees on its rolls in Dubai.

The new team-members, to be recruited in the next three months, will be trained for the launch of KidZania®, SEGA Republic and the 22-screen REEL Cinemas – three new leisure attractions in The Dubai Mall – and The Address, Dubai Mall and The Address, Dubai Marina hotels.

The recruitment highlights the job creation potential of Emaar’s diversified business interests, including shopping malls & retail and hospitality & leisure, and its key role in adding vitality to the Dubai economy. Skilled professionals are being hired locally, from several countries in the region and internationally for the new jobs.

Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties PJSC, said: “Our strategy for 2009 is to push for growth in existing subsidiary businesses while the core property business recovers from the global economic challenges. Emaar’s projects have traditionally created several thousand jobs in all markets including in hospitality, shopping malls and education businesses. The new hospitality & leisure attractions at The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall will further enable us to identify and nurture talented professionals, and in turn, support the Government’s commitment to strengthen market confidence.”

He added: “The unique concept of the leisure attractions and hospitality services at our malls and hotels demands that we have the right human resources for ensuring seamless operation. The current recruitment strategy, coming at a critical time for the global economy, marks our commitment to deliver a quality experience for visitors.”

The Dubai Mall, formally opened on May 8, 2009, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has already created a new dimension in retailing and family entertainment with overwhelming visitor response to The Dubai Fountain, The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and The Dubai Ice Rink. The mall will soon add KidZania® and SEGA Republic, two totally new leisure concepts to the region, and the 22-screen REEL Cinemas.

KidZania® is an award-winning children’s ‘edu-tainment’ concept that will be introduced to the region for the first time at The Dubai Mall. It is an 80,000 sq ft interactive mini-city that combines play with learning in a fun and innovative approach. Children can choose from 70 ‘roles’ ranging from doctors, engineers, teachers, construction workers, artists and mechanics, among others.

SEGA Republic is a high-adrenaline ride, adventure and gaming zone spread over 76,000 sq ft across two levels. An indoor roller-coaster, thrilling rides and motion simulators, many of which are bespoke attractions for Dubai, are its highlights. It is being developed by Emaar Retail in partnership with SEGA Corporation, Japan’s leading indoor theme park developer.

The 22-screen REEL Cinemas will be the city’s largest cinema complex with a total capacity of 2,800 seats. The highlight of The Dubai Mall Cineplex is the introduction of the Hollywood Chic design concept, which assures a modern cinema experience.

The Address, Dubai Mall, the 5 star premium hotel to be operated by The Address Hotels + Resorts, the hotel management division of Emaar Hospitality Group, is nearing completion and will offer 245 signature rooms, 450 serviced apartments and modern lifestyle amenities. The Address, Dubai Marina, with 200 guestrooms and 442 serviced residences, is part of the Dubai Marina Mall complex, located centrally in the one of the most sought-after waterfront projects in the region.

The Address Hotels + Resorts already operates its flagship hotel – The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai – offering 196 guestrooms including 25 suites, and 626 serviced residences. The Palace – The Old Town, with 242 luxurious guestrooms including 81 suites, is another upmarket 5 star property managed by The Address Hotels + Resorts.

World’s largest in-mall retail festival opens at The Dubai Mall on Thursday

Dubai, UAE; April 29, 2009: The world’s largest in-mall retail and entertainment festival will flag off on Thursday (April 30, 2009) at The Dubai Mall. The Festival@The Dubai Mall, a 30-day shopping and leisure extravaganza, marks the first time in the world that over 900 world-class retailers including 160 food & beverage outlets, join hands for a grand promotion in a mall environment.

Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The month-long event comes at a perfect time to reach out not only to families in the Gulf region but also visitors from the larger Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Iran and Russia. The festival is timed to offer families an added incentive and invitation to visit the mall during the school holidays.”

Mr Rafi explained: “With 900 retail outlets already open, The Dubai Mall has the highest concentration of the world’s most leading retail brands in a single mall. The festival is therefore unsurpassed globally in terms of retailer participation within a mall environment. Retailers in the mall have extended their full support to the festival, which is organised with the Dubai Shopping Festival Office as the Strategic Partner.”

Leading retailers in The Dubai Mall, several of them operating their flagship stores or having opened their first Middle East outlets, support the Festival, by offering three kinds of shopping deals – Part Sale, Festival Discount and Festival Offers. Mall tenants will display their chosen category of the offers in-store for easy identification by customers. Complementing the retail deals, shoppers also stand to win millions of dirhams in prizes through daily, weekly and grand raffle draws.


Mr. Ramesh Prabhakar, Managing Partner, Rivoli Group LLC, observed that the Festival@The Dubai Mall is a “very positive sign of support from Emaar and the Dubai Shopping Festival Office. We are sure that it will become another key activity in the calendar of Dubai’s retail activities.”

Ms. Colette Shannon, Marketing Manager of the first Waitrose supermarket in the Middle East region in the mall, said the Festival will create top of mind awareness of the mall. “It is a superb mall, and will over time, establish itself as the premium mall destination in Dubai.”

Mr. David Reily, CEO Middle East, RSH, said that all of the company’s stores in the mall will have “cross-store offers” during the Festival with gift vouchers to be presented to customers. “The Dubai Mall is an outstanding destination and I have never seen a mall generate more fresh ideas or energy.”

Visitors to the mall can also take part in a unique ‘Bid 2 Win’ auction to bid for a diverse range of products starting off at an easy AED 1. In another opportunity to win big, the festival will feature a Grand Bentley Raffle, where only 5,000 tickets, priced AED 200 each, will be drawn for a luxurious, four-door Bentley Continental Flying Spur. An array of entertainment activities, across the mall will assure non-stop fun for all visitors.

The opening day of the Festival@The Dubai Mall will witness five lucky winners of raffle draws walking away with prizes of AED 10,000 each. Customers only have to shop for an aggregate AED 500 from any of the retail or F&B outlets during the entire month for obtaining the raffle coupons. The weekly draw for AED 100,000 will be held on Saturday with the winner standing to gain another AED 50,000 if present in the mall at the time of the draw. The sale of coupons for the Grand Bentley Draw will also open on Thursday morning at special stands across the mall.

Items for the Bid 2 Win will be displayed prominently at the mall and visitors only have to check the product code and SMS to 4643 after registering for the bid at the same number. The products for auction will range in prize from AED 10,000 to AED 100,000. Bids will start at AED 1 and will continue till 9pm, with bidders being informed of the status of the bid in real-time. Live updates of the auction will also be displayed in the multimedia screens across the mall.



Several entertainment programmes including musicians and jugglers will regale visitors, who can also tour the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and Dubai Ice-Rink for added fun, and watch the testing of The Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest performing fountain, at the nearby Burj Dubai Lake.

Festival@The Dubai Mall is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of the Emaar Hospitality Group. Dubai Shopping Festival Office offers strategic support including executing the various retail and entertainment activities.

DM resumes Traditional Friday Market

Dubai Municipality has resumed the activities of the Friday Market at the courtyard of Hamriya Central Market in Abu Hail area starting from the first week of January. The market, which will continue until June 31, will be open from 3pm to 11pm only on Fridays of the week.

Khalifa Hareb, Director of Assets Management Department said the Municipality has started receiving national as well as expatriate traders who are returning once again to the market with their commodities and traditional food varieties. The market had stopped its activities in summer after the temperature and humidity level had gone up, he said.

Hareb said the reopening will give the traders great opportunity to benefit from the market, in addition to promoting the Hamriya Central Market as it is also considered to be an effective support for it during the Dubai Shopping Festival 2009 in spite of the high cost and to gauge the customer satisfaction with the market.

He said that a big number of individuals, establishments and companies are participating in the Friday Market this year.

Hareb said that the Friday Market is holding three main activities. "The first activity is local, Gulf, Arab and Indian traditional food items. The second is trading of different commodities sold on competitive prices and the third activity is sale of souvenirs and handicraft items," he said.

Hareb said some heritage organizations are displaying their products, plants, birds, coins and currencies, computer tools and programmes, books, magazines and Quran copies.

He said that Dubai Municipality monitors the products sold in the market, especially the food items, to ensure whether it is safe for consumers and also to avoid price increasing or cheating.

A part of the market area is set aside for selling fruits and vegetables in order to fill up the gap created when the old Hamriya Vegetable Market was shifted. In addition, places are also allotted for sale of toys.

Hareb said that anybody can participate in the market. "If you want to do trade in the market for a week or two, you can go to the Municipality or the administration of Hamriya Central Market before Friday to register. You will be allotted a place in the market, which is divided into 450 small stalls," he said.

Hareb said traders will be charged Dhs50 for one Friday, whereas individuals will be charged Dhs10 and the registration can be renewed through simple procedures.

"Each stall measures 2X1 metres area, where one person can conduct trade. Individuals can sell anything they wish such as tools, toys, foodstuff, even used items," he said.

Hareb pointed out that participants should erect umbrellas as a protection from sun and rain and also take care of the Hamriya Central Market in general.

He said that there may be big rush of visitors and tourists as it is the Dubai Shopping Festival time.