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The
Dubai Shopping Festival has become a showcase of Arab and other world
cultures. |
At
8:00 p.m. every evening Dubai stops to watch the daily fireworks. Cars in the
streets shut their engines and children strain their necks outside the windows.
And in the Global Village that is the heart of the city’s famous Dubai
Shopping Festival, people drop their bargaining and rush out of the stalls to
partake in the childish pleasure of fiery pinwheels and huge starbursts that
illuminate the breathtaking city landscape.
From
Jan. 15th to Feb. 15th the city of Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) opens itself to the entire Middle East and increasingly
other countries of the world with its Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). Now in its
eighth year, the DSF has grown from a pure commercial venture to a
cross-partnership of retail, culture, family fun and tourism drawing upwards of
two million visitors annually.
It’s
truly a unique experience offering a cross sampling of Middle Eastern culture
rarely seen by the Western world. Indeed the festival does much to eliminate
negative Middle Eastern stereotypes perpetuated by the West with its emphasis on
culture, arts and family togetherness.
Though
the festival is spread out all over the city (major shopping stores offer
special sales and daily raffle drawings for prizes) the real spirit is housed at
the Global Village. More than 25 countries showcase their arts and crafts in
splendidly constructed, huge stalls that represent the landmarks of each
country. For example a large, beautiful pagoda dominates China’s stall while
the famous Hawa Mahal of Rajasthan identifies India’s pavilion.
Inside
every marquee are a plethora of handicrafts and artwork representing each
country’s unique cultural background. It’s a shopper’s paradise, with such
varieties and unusual items, all up for sharp bargaining techniques. A number of
stalls, including Egypt, Iran, Syria and Jordan, have stunning Islamic artwork
in a range of mediums – from glass to brass to woodwork to embroidery. Each
country’s work emphasizes special calligraphic styles adding up to an array of
choices.
Crafts
are also a big draw. The Far East pavilions draw massive crowds with their
delicate handiwork. A Thursday (which is a weekend day in Dubai) visit to the
Thailand stall at the Global Village teaches shoppers a lesson in crowd control,
with people crammed in elbow to elbow bargaining for silk purses, flowers,
perfumes, figurines and the like.
The
African exhibition areas, though smaller than other more popular areas, entice
people with their unusual woodwork, music and costumes. And clothing is always a
big attraction in the India and Pakistan stalls, with many people eagerly buying
items in anticipation of Eid ul Adha.
Apart
from the shopping, another major feature is the food court, which offers all
sorts of tempting things to eat. Lebanese, Egyptian, Pakistani, Thai, Indian,
and fast food – any type is available for tasting. Between the shopping,
eating, amusement rides and cultural performances, the hours melt away at the
Global Village. The city officials also have divided the days to maximize
viewing pleasure. Saturday and Tuesday are family days (no bachelors), Mondays
are just for the ladies and rest of the week all are welcome.
Beyond
the Global Village, the DSF is spread out over the whole city, with other
mini-amusement areas at different points. Jewelry shopping at Dubai’s famous
Gold Souk also typifies the DSF experience. The Gold Souk is an area of the city
where gold stores crowd each other out with miles of sparkling gold chains,
rings, earrings, belts and bracelets. The more you buy the more chances you get
to win the daily raffles.
It
is truly a distinctive cultural and retail experience that highlights the best
of the Middle East. Just observing the crowd is a chance to see the variety of
Islamic and Western dress – from hijaabs, to burqaas to abayas to traditional
Arab male dress – that dominate UAE’s landscape. Though the DSF isn’t
earmarked as a specific Islamic celebration, it is a fairly good introduction to
how Islamic art and culture is interpreted in different countries. 
