During the hotter summer months, from the end of June to the beginning of September, an event takes place each year at Dubai which is often associated with the Dubai Shopping Festival, thanks to the fact that it is centred on entertainment for all the family.
In effect, Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) has many points in common with the DSF, although it is of much greater duration (about 8 weeks). Instituted in 1998, thanks to the government of the Emirate, it has seen constant growth over the years, offering, with each new edition, fresh initiatives which are often linked to knowledge, as well enjoyment for young and old.
The weeks are divided thematically (the aforementioned Surprises) the last of which in a chronological sense being centred on going back to school, and they are organised by the various government departments in partnership with all the other operators involved in hospitality services (from hotels to restaurants, from cafes to shopping malls and so on).
Apart from the Back to School theme, other Surprises are represented in the fields of gastronomy, art, ice (the famous ski slopes at Dubai, covered entirely with artificial snow) and film cartoons. They often enjoy the support of commercial sponsors – among which there are many hotels and residences – and these act as a great magnet for tourism, in what is the low season of the year on account of the high temperatures. It is worthy noting that all the infrastructures in the Arab Emirates are completely air conditioned, making a stay pleasant even when the heat is very intense. All of this, furthermore, is enjoyable at tariffs which are decidedly economical and which are accompanied by the habitual excellent quality of services which are the status symbol of UAE hospitality.
At the Dubai International Airport Expo, the sparkling exhibition area at the Dubai International Airport, there is the Modhesh Fun City, the City of Fun which takes its name from the mascot of Dubai Summer Surprises, Modhesh, whose name in Arabic means amusing, incredible and unexpected. During these weeks, the structure also houses numerous theatrical performances and various shows related to Dubai Summer Surprises.
Among the commercial sectors enjoying greatest success, there is electronics with its applications for free time, the art of jewellery – a great tradition in the Arab Emirates, which has its roots in centuries past, when fishing and the trade in pearls were highly developed – and craftworks in general.