The event, which includes the Al Yowla, Shooting and Falcon Hunting Championships, will be held for the third consecutive year during the DSF. Addressing the Press on Wednesday, DTCM Director General, Khalid bin Sulayem said: "The Al Yowla Championship, a traditional dance form performed by the males in which swords are tossed in the air simultaneously is going to be a star attraction. It was held for the first time in 2002 and has since become an annual event."

The Al Yowla championship, held to preserve the sports heritage of the emirate and pass it down to the future generations, has seen a 166 per cent increase in the number of participants, from 600 in 2002 to 1,600 in 2003. Mr Bin Sulayem said: "DTCM-organised programmes are a major draw during the festival for the visitors. We have introduced new programmes this year and improvised the popular ones in order to enhance the visitors’ experience. The Shooting and the Falcon Hunting championships, which were introduced for the first time during DSF-2003 attracting 800 and 1,400 participants, respectively, are being held this year as well."

Mr Bin Sulayem said the DTCM has been actively promoting the trend-setting annual shopping-cum-entertainment festival by arranging exhibitions and road shows in overseas markets especially in the AGCC region.

Announcing details of the championship, Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook, Senior Manager Heritage and Diving Village and Chairman of DSF 2004 organising committee at the DTCM, said the events have been selected and distributed among the venues in a way that the best of Dubai's heritage and culture is showcased to a maximum number of people in a truly authentic ambience. The department has lined up as many 60 events each day at several must-see heritage sites in Dubai and Hatta.

He also said that the falcon hunting championship would be held behind the Al Wasl Club from January 21 to 23, while the shooting championship will be held at Al Ruwwaiya on Dubai-Al Ain Highway on January 28 and 29. The Al Yowla championship will be held at the Heritage Village in Dubai from February 4 to 6.

The events are being sponsored by Al Tayer Motors, Al Nabooda Automobiles and Al Habtoor Motors who have kept attractive prizes up for the grabs by the winners including a Volkswagen Touareg V-6, a Mitsubishi Nativa 4WD SUV, and cash prizes of Dh10,000 and Dh5,000.

Kartma Liusie, Marketing Communications Manager, Al Tayer Group, which is sponsoring the Falcon Hunting Championship said: "We are delighted to support the three falconry competitions for the second consecutive year and congratulate the DSF Committee for placing Dubai on the world map through a multitude of well thought of events."

The Al Nabooda Automobiles, which is sponsoring the Al Yowla Championship, is offering a Volkswagen Touareg V-6 to the winner of the championship as part of its support. Al Nabooda Automobiles Chief Executive, K. Rajaram said: "Dubai has become the undisputed tourist and shopping destination of the Middle East and such events reinforce our support of the many diverse UAE cultural and sporting events."

Al Habtoor Motors (Mitsubishi) is giving away a Mitsubishi Nativa 4WD SUV, and cash prizes of Dh10,000 and Dh5,000, to the first three winners of the Shooting competition. Mark Jones, General Manager (Sales and Marketing), Al Habtoor Motors said: "I am sure these incentives will generate a spirit of true competition and we look forward to a successful Shaikh Hamdan Championship."

Food for thought

The DSF office has received a number of applications from restaurants to participate in the festival, to run special offers. Until now, many restaurants have signed up, varying from fast-food outlets to Arabic and specialty cuisine restaurants.

Mohammed Al Duhail, Retail Outlets Coordinator, Dubai Shopping Festival, said: "The registrations in this category will be open till January 15. Most of the restaurants that have registered till now are located in the main streets of Dubai, especially those streets hosting events of DSF 2004, like Al Riqqa and Al Muraqabbat streets, and many restaurants that are within shopping malls."

"The offers must be real and of a good value, and transfer tangible benefits to the customer. The announcements must be clear and detailed in the literature within the restaurant", he added.

"The fee for registration to participate is Dh 1,000 for restaurants, plus an additional Dh 500 for each outlet of the same chain. Resturants owned by key sponsors or support sponsors or patrons will not be charged, and restaurants located in shopping malls owned by key or support sponsors will have a 25 per cent discount on the fee."

"The participating restaurants will have a special benefit. They will be a part of the advertising and communication strategy of the DSF, and they will also get a special mention on the DSF website, www.mydsf.ae." he said.

52 vehicles in nissan super raffle

The DSF Committee and Arabian Automobiles came together on Wednesday to announce the details of the Nissan Super Raffle which will see 52 top-of-the-range Nissan vehicles being given away during Dubai's most popular retail and entertainment extravaganza.

Mr Ibrahim Saleh, Chief Operation Officer, DSF said: "In order to make shopping even more rewarding, we ensure that the DSF offers shoppers a mind-boggling range of promotions across a spectrum of categories."

"The highly popular AAC-DSF Nissan-A-Day joint promotion has been a favourite with the DSF shopper for over five years now and has long been one of the highlights of the DSF. Last year, the highly popular promotion offered 31 Nissan Patrols, one every day over the month-long event. However, this year we have gone a step ahead and increased the probability of winning by increasing the total number to 52 Nissan vehicles".

Mr Michel Ayat, General Manager of Arabian Automobiles Company, Nissan distributor in Dubai and Northern Emirates, said: "AAC wanted to make this year's DSF an even more unforgettable and rewarding experience to as many Dubai residents and visitors as possible. The partnership with DSF is a reflection of our commitment to the people of Dubai and our endeavour to add value to the event."

Hundreds of participating outlets across the city will be distributing over three million free raffle coupons upon purchases of a variety of products to enable entry into a daily draw. Each participating outlet will determine the purchase value at which the free raffle coupon is to be offered to its customers. Best of all, each coupon will be maintained for the entire week in the central Raffle box, which means that each coupon offers six great chances to win a Nissan vehicle. Moreover, there is no limit to the number of times a shopper can enter the raffle.

The daily draw and the five special weekend draws will be held on a specially constructed stage at the Global Village. Winners will be then invited on stage to choose different Nissan vehicles from the leading line-up, ranging from the king of its class, the Patrol to the ever-popular Sunny. All of the Nissan vehicles on offer (Patrol, Pathfinder, X-Trail, Maxima, Sunny) are top of their range. AAC will also offer the buy-back facility as an option to the winners during the festival.