Burj Khalifa lights with a spectacular LED show to mark the beginning of Dubai Summer Surprises on Thursday. John Varughese/ Gulf Today

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The 6-week-long mega event to engage all major retailers as well as residents in the city, Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) has started as shoppers throng malls to grab early sales promotions in their favourite malls across Dubai.

In this regard, Dubai Retail, the retail management arm of Dubai Holding, in association with Al Ghandi Auto, is offering residents and shoppers the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime prize with a brand-new Cadillac CT5 as part of a ‘Spend and Win’ promotion running across two of its iconic destinations during this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises festival.

The ‘Spend and Win’ promotion at Dubai’s premier beachfront destination, The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), and Souk Madinat Jumeirah, the authentic Arabian bazaar, is part of a Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) partnership with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). The 2020 edition of DSS is set to run for seven weeks from Thursday July 9 to Saturday August 29, with the ‘Spend and Win’ promotion active from Thursday July 9 to Tuesday August 25.

All retail and F&B outlets at JBR and Souk Madinat Jumeirah are participating, and any shopper spending over Dhs100 in a single visit will have the chance to enter the prize draw.

Shoppers simply need to pick up an entry form any outlet on receipt of purchase over Dhs100, fill out and submit the form in the official Spend and Win raffle boxes located in JBR and Souk Madinat Jumeirah.

Winners will be announced during a grand draw, conducted on Wednesday August 26 by a Department of Economic Development (DED) representative. Dubai Summer Surprises, organized by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), is a citywide programme of exclusive deals, promotions and entertainment.

However, Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, and City Centre Deira have an exciting summer lined up with a six-week period of unmissable retail deals and an exclusive 12-hour-only flash sale on the horizon. For those itching to get out and enjoy the Dubai Summer Surprises retail promotions, big prizes in the form of millions of SHARE reward points plus entertainment await the entire family from 9 July to 29 August.

Kicking off on 9 July 10am till 10pm with the exclusive 12-hour only flash sale across the three malls, customers are promised bundles of generous promotions alongside a grand prize of 1 million SHARE points — equivalent to Dhs100,000 — for one lucky winner.

During the sale, fashionistas, electronics gurus, beauty-lovers, and all shoppers in between can capitalise on unrivalled discounts of up to 90 per cent. Customers can avail the offers at an array of participating mall outlets across luxury, fashion, beauty, home, and electronics brands while putting themselves in the running for the grand prize.

To enter the grand prize draw, shoppers simply need to download the SHARE application, activate the 12-hour sale under the ‘offers’ tab, and spend a combined total of Dhs300 across any of the three malls. Once shoppers have scanned their receipts via the app, they will automatically be entered into the prize draw.

FOODIE MOMENTS: Home cooks can put their culinary skills to the test and learn from Dubai’s best chefs at the

DSS Chef Masterclass Series. A chance for amateur cooks and foodies to rub shoulders with their kitchen heroes, the July DSS Chef Masterclass Series will feature a total of 10 classes in the series. This is the perfect opportunity to learn how to make Dubai’s best loved dishes from the city’s award-winning chefs.

The super-sophisticated Armani Café in Mall of the Emirates will tempt hungry customers with a “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” offer on its famous Italian pizzas throughout DSS, while family favourite More Café will challenge customers to cook a meal at home using a specially created DSS recipe. The foodie who creates the best-looking meal will win a meal for two at More.

Ocean Basket restaurant in City Centre Mirdif is inviting customers to try their hand at making its famous fish and chips this DSS, with a meal for two people up for grabs for the best dish.

Fans of Magnolia Bakery can create their own versions of the café’s famous cookies with a special DSS cookery box filled with everything home chefs need.