Source : WAM
Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), delivered an outstanding calendar of world-class festivals, events, and citywide experiences throughout 2025, further cementing Dubai’s status as a premier global hub for retail, entertainment, tourism, and innovation.
The year’s accomplishments highlight DFRE’s central role in stimulating economic growth, enhancing quality of life, and advancing the ambitious objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the city’s economy and reinforce Dubai’s standing as a leading international destination for business and leisure.
During 2025, DFRE curated a vibrant lineup of flagship festivals, including the milestone 30th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, the record-setting ninth edition of Dubai Fitness Challenge, the fourth Dubai Esports and Games Festival, and an expanded 28th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises. Complementing these was the Dubai Calendar, showcasing more than 1,000 events across the city. Together, these initiatives drew millions of residents and visitors, boosted activity across diverse sectors, and demonstrated Dubai’s unique capacity to deliver exceptional experiences for varied audiences.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of DFRE, said, “Guided by our city’s visionary leadership, 2025 was a transformative year for DFRE, marked by record-breaking achievements across our flagship festivals and initiatives. Our success reflects the strength of Dubai’s integrated approach to tourism, retail, and entertainment, underpinned by exceptional public-private sector collaboration.
From the landmark 30th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, to the record participation seen during the Dubai Fitness Challenge, Dubai delivered world-class experiences that drove meaningful impact and strengthened the city’s global appeal. As we look ahead, with the 10th anniversary Retail Calendar well underway, featuring 18 festivals and campaigns across 250 days, DFRE is committed to supporting the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business and leisure, and the best city to visit, live and work in.”
DFRE’s retail campaigns achieved remarkable outcomes in 2025, recording an average 144% increase in spending, 86% customer satisfaction, and 80% awareness levels. More than 1,300 brands across 4,000 outlets participated in various initiatives. The introduction of the Great Dubai Summer Sale and the innovative Shop, Scan & Win programme generated over AED150 million in sales and drove a 200% rise in retail spending, achieving 88% customer satisfaction.
Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025 with its largest and most comprehensive edition to date. Running from 6 December 2024 to 12 January 2025, the 38-day celebration featured over 125 events and experiences across more than 60 venues citywide, 619 A-list concerts and entertainment performances, and promotions at over 3,500 outlets representing more than 850 brands across 100-plus participating malls.
The anniversary edition introduced new attractions such as DSF Nights at Dubai Festival City Mall, DSF Auto Season displaying more than 2,000 vehicles across 16 events, and the debut Hatta x DSF mountain adventure. Retail engagement reached unprecedented levels, with over 295 raffles and promotions awarding AED50 million in prizes to 1,115 winners, including 23 new cars, AED21 million in cash, and AED1.5 million worth of gold.
Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) 2025 concluded its most expansive edition yet, with over 3 million participants supporting the vision of making Dubai one of the world’s most active cities. Held throughout November, the ninth edition encouraged participants to complete 30 minutes of physical activity daily for 30 consecutive days, offering numerous ways to “Find Your Challenge.” Flagship events achieved record numbers: Dubai Run presented by Mai Dubai attracted over 307,000 runners — a 338% increase since 2019; Dubai Ride presented by DP World welcomed 40,327 cyclists; more than 5,000 joined Dubai Stand Up Paddle; and Dubai Yoga debuted successfully with 3,500 participants.
Major international sporting events during November — including the Dubai Premier Padel P1, DP World Tour Championship, Dubai T100 Triathlon, and Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens — further reinforced Dubai’s reputation as a global sports destination.
The fourth Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF) achieved record-breaking success, attracting over 45,000 attendees across 12 major events over 17 days. The festival engaged the full gaming ecosystem — from families and students to developers and business leaders — with participation from 775 companies and brands. DEF continues to support the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033, positioning the city as a regional gaming hub.
Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2025 concluded its most dynamic season yet, spanning 66 days from 27 June to 31 August. The 28th edition introduced three curated shopping phases — Summer Holiday Offers, Great Dubai Summer Sale, and Back to School — driving a 110% increase in average consumer spending. More than 1,050 brands across 3,800 outlets participated, with the Great Dubai Summer Sale’s Shop, Scan & Win campaign alone generating over AED150 million in consumer spending.
Entertainment reached new heights with 76 concerts and shows across 35 venues, featuring international artists such as Shreya Ghoshal, Natalie Imbruglia, Macy Gray, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, alongside regional performers and family favourites.
Dubai’s culinary sector thrived, with over 60 restaurants participating in Summer Restaurant Week and the DSS edition of 10 Dirham Dish across more than 700 F&B outlets. Modesh World 2025 welcomed 17,340 visitors over 27 days, featuring 112 attractions across five themed zones, 423 live performances, and 28 workshops in collaboration with 16 Dubai Government entities.
Beyond its flagship events, Dubai Calendar strengthened its position as the city’s comprehensive events platform, promoting over 1,000 events annually. The gastronomy sector also saw significant growth through initiatives such as the Emirati Cuisine Programme, ICCA Emirati Chef Competition, the Ramadan Street Food Festival attracting more than 65,000 visitors, a record Dubai Restaurant Week with over 100 participating venues, and the largest-ever 10 Dirham Dishes programme during DSS.
Two Dubai restaurants were ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 — Trèsind Studio (#27) and Orfali Bros (#37). Meanwhile, the latest Best Chef Awards recognised Dubai-based culinary talent with two Three Knives winners, five Two Knives winners, and six One Knife winners.
Dubai further solidified its position as a global business events hub in 2025, with Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau and a division of DFRE, driving international outreach. Dubai hosted 481 events secured through DBE’s previous bidding efforts — an 11% year-on-year increase. DBE also achieved 504 bid wins for conferences, congresses, meetings, and incentive events scheduled through 2029, expected to attract more than 270,000 delegates and strengthen Dubai’s knowledge economy.
Looking ahead, DFRE remains focused on innovation and excellence, building on the success of its flagship festivals while exploring new opportunities to elevate Dubai’s global appeal. With Dubai Fitness Challenge preparing for its milestone tenth edition in 2026, the continued evolution of Dubai Shopping Festival, and the ongoing expansion of Dubai Calendar, DFRE is poised to generate even greater impact in advancing Dubai’s vision as one of the world’s most dynamic and attractive cities.
