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Thumbs up from kids

DUBAI - The countdown for the school season has begun, and little ones around Dubai are striving to get their last few minutes of big fun in with Dubai Summer Surprises events and activities before the curtain comes down on DSS 2004 two weeks from today.

Back-2-School Surprises week, organised by the Department of Economic Development, is proving to be a popular way of easing the transition back to school. Packed with frivolous activities, edutainment zones and the successful Back-2-School Exhibition at the reception hall of the Dubai Airport Expo, it offers visiting and resident children the chance to enjoy, learn and get prepared for school at the same time.

Zainab Ali Saleh, a 10-year-old visitor from the Sultanate of Oman, visited the Back-2-School Exhibition with her family and had a wonderful time there. "I heard from my friends that there are a great variety of school bags, attractive stationery and colourful notebooks and pencils, and I wanted to stock up on all of those things," she said. "I bought many nice stationery items with my favourite cartoon characters on them. This is definitely one of my favourite weeks because it makes me feel excited to go back to school."

Dana Sabri, seven-year-old from Syria, participated in some of the Back-2-School Surprises competition and came away with a handy and attractive schoolbag and lots of stationery. "I was really happy to win such a nice and useful gift," she said. "I am planning to buy the school items I need during the Back-2- School Surprises week, because there is a huge variety available there and the prices will surely suits my parent." She has not yet visited the Back-2- School Exhibition, she said, but hopes to visit soon with her mother.

Shadan Al Shaheen, a four-year-old from Kuwait, is very happy and excited to be in Dubai during Back-2-School Surprises week. Her father said her excitement had spread to the whole family, and they had already made trips to the Back-2-School Exhibition and found the prices there unbeatable.

"I really liked the school bags, pens and the colouring books," said Shadan. "It reminded me of my school. I can't wait to go back to school to meet my friends again and to play and learn with them."

Five-year-old Shahla Moshaed Al Shaikh, and her sister Shouq, 6, are visiting Dubai Summer Surprises from Saudi Arabia. "We love the Back-2- School Surprises week, because we can find variety of wonderful school stationery and we have a great time in the different activities and workshops," the sisters said. "We visited the Back-2- School Exhibition and we found nice and comfortable school shoes there, which will be very useful for us," said Shouq.

Arwa Dayani, an eight-year-old from Syria, visited a number of Back-2-School Surprises week events with her nine-year-old brother, Malik.

"We are extremely happy to be here," the siblings said. "We enjoyed our time during the all the previous surprises and now we can't wait to join all the activities of the Back-2- School Surprises. We love this week because it reminds us of the school time."