Surfers Respond
DSF 2001 was bigger and better this time what with blockbuster events, children's shows, spectacular prizes taking centrestage more than ever before! GoDubai invites surfers to express their views, vent their feelings on the plethora of events around the city. What events were must-sees? What could have been given a miss? Any memorable moments during DSF? Submit your views on the GoDubai DSF Forum.

Also: Check out our DSF Compass, a ready reckoner for DSF events across Dubai.

It was pretty ok not that exciting, not everything was so interesting. I saw people rushing mostly to Global village only!! That was the only good thing.

Hi! We had a hair-raising experience at Global Village. On the 28th we went to Global Village and lost our three year old son there. Each and every member of our family desperately searched for him. To our relief, we found our son at the lost and found section, the police also helped us a lot. This was a DSF I can never forget in my life.

It was good and exciting but I was disatisfied with the opening ceremony a lot of it really dissapointed me. Other then that, the rest was cool! Global village was the best, bargains were fine, the theme was good. Definitely worth waiting for!

Had an excellent time during the DSF almost everywhere but my favourite as always and more so this time was Global Village - the best venue during the DSF. Only request is that this venue should be allowed to remain longer than the scheduled one month period as honestly visiting it everyday is not practically possible nor the traffic permits us either. Thus longer duration shall ensure maximum visits by one and all to participate most in all the fun filled activities at the global village.

I think the best part of the festival this year was the incredible promotions and offers Paris Gallery was having, it made shopping heaven for us ladies!

DSF 2001 is great and fantastic. My favourite hangout is Lexus Raffles and EPCO, ENOC promotions. Global Village and Rigga shows are an unforgetable memory for the kids. I hereby congratulate the organiser of DSF and looking foward to DSF 2002 with more exciting programes and promotions.

I think the DSF is great! My only complaint was that when I went to Creek Park no one could answer any of my questions because they only spoke Arabic and not a word of English.

DSF is a time to let loose and gear up some action. Hanging out with family and friends could turn out to be really memorable. My favourite hangout is the Global Village which I find really cool 'cos of the rides and all that shopping I get to do!

Its great to hear that the DSF is a great success this year, being better comparatively to previous years. Anyways, I wish I could be there as I have missed yet another DSF, as I am studying in the USA. Also another surprising thing is that I was shocked to hear so many complaints from Rigga residents this year, as I thought it was fine, being a Rigga resident myself. I hope organisers would think of something as creative as DSF, during the summer. Also looking forward to the Dubai Summer Surprises this year.

It is a nice event for people who are coming to Dubai, but absolutely a nightmare for people living in Dubai. This month we only stay at home, 'cos the traffic is horrible.

Hi all, this year's DSF is really fantastic. People really enjoy it. I also like it very much. The only drawback is that the festival creates a lot of noise pollution and it disturbs my children a lot while they are studying.

Hi all, I am very, very disappointed that I had to cancel my DSF-Shopping Holiday because of the CeBit ( Computer-Fair in Hannover, Germany ). My husband has to be there with his company and I have to stay with our daughter at home. Anyway, we will start our Dubai trip in the beginning of April for three weeks, and I´m soooooo happy about it! I miss my Dream City Dubai so much and again I would like to be there 2 weeks earlier.....! But on the other hand Dubai is always worth for a trip and of course for living...! I would like to send all my best regards to all the people who are joining the beautiful Dubai-Shopping-Festival! I love Dubai.

I agree with Sue. Riqqa Road really is a nightmare for the residents. No parking, chaotic traffic and worst of all - Ajman TV. These guys play music at top volume till 4 in the night. The DSF officials really should do something about it, as it is the exam season and kids find it near impossible to study with all that noise.

I miss DSF a lot!

The traffic during this month is a real nightmare. Can't wait till it gets over..not possible to drive anywhere.

This time DSF is very good. I am enjoying DSF a lot.

Went for one of those cool rides, called "Top Buzz" at the Global Village and lost my SL-45(Siemens). The ride's a must checkout but for those carrying a mobile phone should make sure that either they leave it at the ticket counter or strap it securely to their bodies because the ride tosses you all over the place. To keep it in your pocket, like I did, is definitely not going to prevent it from falling. To me the ride cost me a good 1,800 Dhs or something (cost of my mobile and a new one at that!). Expensive ride wouldn't you say?

I really like & enjoy this DSF but in this year decoration's not good.

I took my 8 year old son to see Desert Extreme 2001. At the entrance, we were told it started at 6:30. We waited. We were then told 7:00. We waited. At 6:55 we tried to get in, to then be told it might start at 7:30, as there were not enough spectators. Hardly my problem. I took my money back and did not bother, as we wanted to see the fireworks. We went to dinner at the Boardwalk. At 9:00 one of the waiters told us that he had just found out that there were no fireworks on Mondays and Saturdays. All in all a pretty disappointing evening. If these events are to be run, then accurate and timely information should be given to the public. As it happens I wasted my evening and my boy was thoroughly disappointed!

DSF is fun for children but in the last two years children are not very happy for many schools have final exams going on till third week of the month. Therefore they get only one week and that is not enough for the children to enjoy the whole lot of DSF activities.

DSF is simply superb, especially the decorated lights throughout Dubai. The Defence roundabout lighting near the Naturalization and Immigration office is superb. In the Creek Park, Aqua Fantasia is nice.

Whilst each year my family and I enjoy many aspects of the Dubai Shopping Festival, we feel we are missing out on so many wonderful activities because all events are staged at night. We live in Al Ain which is an hour and a half away from all the excitement. I urge the organisers to please put some events on during the day, especially at weekends. I understand that some people feel it is too hot during the day, however even the shopping centres activities are only on in the evening. This is a common complaint that I hear amongst my friends every year. I am sure the tourists who come from overseas would also like to see more events held during the day. Let's make the shopping festival for all people, not just for those residing or holidaying in Dubai.

On the DSF TV Campaign, the television compere very generously awards Dhs. 1000 shopping vouchers to visitors in malls. I have been watching these impromptu interviews and have to say that there is a definite bias towards Westerners (translated as blonde white skinned people) and Arabs. Is it that the Asians are not photogenic enough - because for all practical purposes they are equally (if not more) prolific in malls. Come on - DSF wake up and get real.

We live in the middle of Riqqa & Muraqqabat Streets, and since Mar 1st we have been prisoners of our house. It is a nightmare going and coming to our home. I sincerely wish that they would move the Dubai Shopping festival outside Dubai. Build and make up new streets just like Disney World Village away from down town and charge people to enter that area and for the use of the amusment parks. Dubai has the capabilities, the means, and the will.

DSF is good for enjoyment but the entrance fees is too much. Also there should be more rides for children below 2 years.

I differ from the views expressed by Andy. The Heritage Village site is steeped in heritage, culture & tradition and takes one back to the days of yore. There is so much happening there...music, dance, handicrafts, displays of the Arabian horse, falconry, coin exhibition Bedouin life village. I am surprised that only Pringles, Mars Bars and Twix's caught Andy's eye.

Ever tried living in Riqqa during the DSF. I think the authorities should consider asking everybody to shut down activities after 12 since we don't get holidays the whole month of DSF. How do you get to sleep if Ajman radio or TV or whatever is blaring through loudspeakers till 4 in the morning. And how do you explain the clink clank of some stupid iron rods that the guys below our building take out and out up every morning during DSF. DSF is a nightmare for us.

Why are tickets at the Creek Park and elsewhere available only in dirhams and not in other currencies?

The DSF is the same thing every year...Dubai should try to come up with new ideas. Another thing is that the price of tokens for rides are too expensive. They should reduce the prices of the rides.

I would like to know that why in global village there is mostly family day at all times? Why are individual visitors from abroad not allowed to visit the fair? We also would like to buy some stuff or enjoy the wonders of the Global village. Would you believe I came all the way from Sharjah and I went back because it was a family day that day. This is not fair.

I didnt realise that selling Pringles, Mars Bars and Twix's was part of the of the local heritage, but having walked round 'Heritage' village it seems that it is!

Dubai the leader always promises alawys to be on top. Always manage to surprise us, and keep us on edge. Way to go Dubai, the sun the shines over the Middle East. You have proved to the Whole Wide World, our capabilities and imagination are endless, and that we are a determined nation.

DSF is fabulous! It's great!

This year's DSF does claim to be grand, involving huge expenditure (about Dhs 65m!), but overall I feel it's not very appealing. Of course the beautifying of the city has been very well taken care of with attractive lights, clowns on lamp poles on Diyafah street etc. However Global Village seems to lack charm. Agreed they are many more pavilions this time, but relatively less stalls. The sellers display only a handful of products, not leaving much of choice to buy. Most of the visitors just glance and walk away, can’t really blame them. The same holds true for the stalls at Riqqa and Al Seef street. I guess the dances and shows are better organised. The amusement rides are amusing enough both in terms of entertainment and price - the tickets are ridiculously expensive...literally ripping you off!

I attended the Dolphin Show at Muraqqabat Road yesterday. It was a peak time show at 8 o'clock in the evening. Though the dolphins were marvellous, I was pretty disappointed when the narrator of the show spoke only in Arabic and not in English. Initially, I thought that he would alternate between Arabic and English, but he didn't. The DSF purports to welcome tourists all over the world, so why this one-sided commentary which is a sure-fire guarantee to put off non-Arabs from attending the show. I hope the organisers remedy this discrepancy rightaway for the sake of other tourists who will surely come in large numbers to watch this dolphin show.

The raffle draws for cars attract more shoppers like us here from Umm Al Quwain. The unique and record breaking events amaze visitors as well as people around the world. It makes us expatriates in UAE popular among our people back home.