What used to ail Dubai were the hot summer months from May to August. Most of the expats went home during this period; schools remain closed for 3 months and business used to take a downward dip. But with Dubai Summer Surprise and special promotion from the tourism department things have changed. Also what changed is the perception of the people who stayed back in Dubai during those months. For tourists Hotels offered special rates, Malls celebrated DSS not only with discounts but also with in house entertainment.
What I like the most was that strategy adopted by the mall owners during the DSS. How can you keep back the people back in Dubai during these summer months? The answer, although seems quite simple when you think of it now, but was really challenging. If you keep the children back, where will their parents fly? The focus in the DSS were children, captivate them in all possible ways, entertain them, put adventure in their lives. DSS has a mascot in the name of “Madosh” – it looks more like me and that’s what makes it amusing for kids.
I reluctantly had to take my kid (off course that’s my wife) to Lamcy Plaza most of the Fridays. She was more interested in the shopertainment rather than the kid’s shows. Does anyone understand that shops cannot sell any product less then their buying price? That’s this concepts defeats all purpose of doing business. Are the shop owners there to make charity during the summer months? But how do you make this understand to kids and WOMEN. They both belong to a different world. Maybe that’s a topic which cannot be covered in a blog – I mean it can be if some site offers unlimited MB space and someone has the nerve to put the rest of his life in writing on this topic.
You are grounded because your kids want to have some fun and the weather is too hot outside. So the only place to venture around is in the malls. That’s sometimes pretty costly for prime earner in the family (no biases) but you are in Dubai not only to make money, to spend something also.
As per a recent survey the footfalls in the malls have increased this summer. What used to be a loss making season has become profitable. Dubai has flair of turning around things and this is just one of them.
What can you expect next – an air-conditioned canopy covering parts of the desert for people to enjoy?
If Mall of Emirates has a Ski slope, my idea may not be absolute junk.
EMMAR, NAKHEEL are you listening?
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