Saturday, Jun 25, 2016

Dubai: Retailers across Dubai are seeing steady spend during Ramadan, primarily driven by residents and international visitors, including those from across the GCC proximity markets. Overall, close to 1 million international visitors are expected to visit Dubai during the month.

Overnight visitors from the GCC to Dubai have continued to increase in 2016, with close to 1.3 million visitors in the first four months of the year. Saudi Arabia and Oman alone saw 587,000 and 428,000 visitors come to Dubai between January and April 2016, up 13 per cent and 30 per cent respectively over the same period last year.

The UAE was recently nominated as a top 10 travel destination during Ramadan among Muslim travellers in 2016, according to a study by MasterCard and Singapore-based halal tourism online platform CrescentRating. The UAE ranked eighth in the list topped by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, according to the first Ramadan Travel Report. The UAE is likely to emerge as the second most popular destination in 2022 and the top travel destination during Ramadan in 2027.

Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation of Tourism & Commerce Marketing said: “Dubai continues to be a year round city and with an enhanced destination proposition we are seeing more visitors and residents alike choosing to celebrate the Holy month with family and friends in the city. We have seen positive forward bookings and hope to welcome more visitors to the emirate and our many offerings this month.”

Many of Dubai’s retailers also echoed the sentiments, and despite slower growth projections for the first half of 2016, have seen positive upswings across the Holy month to date, buoyed by strong retail promotions and offers.

Majid Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Shopping Malls Group said: “Ramadan is a time for sharing and caring; moreover, inspiring people to buy gifts for their friends and families on the occasion of Eid. The retail sector in Dubai is always geared to cater to this market, and in light of the auspicious occasion the Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) is offering a rewarding experience for its shoppers during this season through its various offers and promotions. This year around, DSMG has rolled out an innovative promotion wherein shoppers can win Eidiyat up to Dh1.5 Million all through the three days of EID. The campaign is designed not only to make a positive impact on the retail sector but it’s also our earnest effort to enhance the experience for shoppers across Dubai.”

Tawhid Abdullah, Chairman of Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group, said: “Ramadan is one of the important seasons for traders of gold and jewellery, as the market experiences positive sales, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan in the run-up to Eid Al Fitr, the time when people buy gifts for their families and loved ones. There was an increase in wholesale transactions in gold during this period, especially to Saudi Arabia, while retail sales rose slightly during the first half of the month of Ramadan, and has now begun to move much better as we approach the Eid holidays.”

Abdullah said that he expected gold and jewellery sales to increase by 5 per cent during the Holy month compared with the month-long period of Ramadan last year. He pointed out that people consider gold a safe haven, and therefore, in the light of the global uncertainty, people prefer to buy gold, as it is the most trusted product.

Mohammed Abdul Rahim Al Fahim, CEO of Paris Gallery Group of Companies, said: “As always, Ramadan and Eid will bring in specials for this spiritual and cultural season that involves local and regional communities. For the retail sector, it’s an opportunity to serve the residents and tourists who find the UAE the perfect place to spend their time in spiritual and festive activities. I believe this year’s festive promotions in the UAE will be very attractive to customers from GCC countries and other nations in the Middle East whose influx we believe will be more than last year. Buying a new product symbolises the spirit of celebration, and Paris Gallery, as the foremost destination for shopping, is well equipped with its best-selling niche line of fragrances and new lines of stunning, soulful scents. Our special offers will also include luxury gift sets and assorted gift baskets that serve as easy gifting options.”

Michel Ayat, CEO, Arabian Automobiles Company, flagship automotive division of AW Rostamani Group and exclusive dealer for Nissan, Infiniti and Renault in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said: “We are delighted to have recorded an increase of 50 per cent in sales enquiries in the first two weeks of Ramadan, as compared to the previous month. With the efforts put in by the Arabian Automobiles team to ensure consistency in deliverables and a constant increase in customer loyalty, we are committed to building bridges of communication with our valued customers.

“Arabian Automobiles Company plays an active role in the development of Dubai and catering to the smart city initiative with award winning technological developments across all brands. This has helped us achieve retail reservations that have almost doubled in comparison to the previous month.

We are proud to be where we are today and we will continue achieving our goal of becoming the number one dealership for motoring enthusiasts across the UAE.” added Michel.

Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Senior Director — Property Management, Shopping Malls for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “Ramadan is a period of festivity and celebration for shopping malls across the UAE — for Muslims or Non-Muslims, residents and tourists. In addition to thematic Ramadan decor celebrating Arabic and Islamic traditions, our shopping malls are hosting an array of interactive, engaging and meaningful family entertainment and activities. The result is a consistent buzz of activity and festivity that, while is still respectful to the traditions and customs of Ramadan, is also entertaining and appealing at the same time which attracts visitors to the mall. Contrary to the perception that Ramadan is a quieter period — particularly during the summer — the shift lies in demographics and timings where visitation is busiest towards the late evening, with more families and children. Our F&B outlets enjoy increased business for Iftar and Suhour, and overall shoppers spend increases towards the end of Ramadan, in the lead up to the traditional gift-giving period of Eid Al Fitr. As such, we expect footfall and sales to be positive during the Holy Month this year.

“Additionally, our shopping malls are designed and tailored to offer complete lifestyle experiences, which attract millions of visitors all year long. Dubai tourists and residents enjoy our world-class shopping, dining and entertainment, as well as the renewed experiences and promotions we roll out every month or season, in line with our commitment to create great moments, for everyone, every day. A significant proportion of our guests observe the Holy Month as a month of fasting and as such, social activities and outings are suited to the evenings, following Iftar. As their lifestyle changes, we take it into consideration that this changes the shopping trends. To accommodate guests who are observing religious practices during Ramadan, Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls across the UAE extending their mall hours to 1:00am, with restaurants and cafés — staying open to as late as 2:00am.”

Nisreen Boustani, PR and Corporate Communication Manager, Mercato and Town Centre Jumeirah, said: “So far this month, sales have been up compared to Ramadan last year, there is a remarkable growth. Mercato Retailers are focusing more on promotions and deals this Ramadan; in order to drive footfall and sales. We have noticed GCC tourists coming to enjoy the special ambience in Dubai during the holy month of Ramadan and get the chance to grab few deals in our stores thanks to promotions and deals offered by retailers to entice consumers.”

Osama Hamza Al Rahma, General Manager, Al Fardan Exchange, said: “The holy month of Ramadan is a very important season for the money exchange sector, and this year we have witnessed between 3-7 per cent increases in remittances by the expatriate population in Dubai compared to the same period last year. This is largely because of Dubai’s cosmopolitan character as a city that hosts people of diverse nationalities with many of the residents sending money to their families and loved ones and friends before the Eid Al Fitr holidays”

Al Rahma predicted that money exchange transactions will remain at a high level during the Eid Al Fitr holidays.

Staff Report

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