Events & Festivals - Dubai
Dubai’s calendar offers numerous events and festivals, catering to tourists, locals, and business visitors. Most are packed into the high season, between November and March, when the climate is most pleasant.
The city hosts several major sporting events, offering huge cash prizes and drawing the world’s top sporting personalities. The year starts with the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon in January, a race with a purse of $250,000 for both the male and female winners. In March the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse offers total prize money of $10 million, making it the world’s richest horse race. Other major sporting events include the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the Dubai Desert Classic, both in February, and the Rugby Sevens in December.
Dubai is the only city in the world that hosts two entire festivals dedicated to retails shopping. The month-long Dubai Shopping Festival begins in January and features promotions, bargains galore, and plenty of entertainment. A similar festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, starts in June.
The arts are not forgotten. The Dubai International Jazz Festival in February features renowned artists such as Jools Holland, Macy Gray and Mica Paris. Art Dubai is a contemporary art fair held the following month featuring impressive works from the world’s leading galleries.
The city is also a popular venue for trade shows and conferences. Some of the biggest are the Arabian Travel Market in May, the Dubai International Boat Show in March, GITEX Shopper in October, and the Dubai International Motor Show in November.
Visitors should aware of special restrictions in effect during the holy month of Ramadan.
| Event | Notes | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Shopping Festival | A month of discounts and bargains. Retail spending during this period accounts for a shocking 8% of Dubai’s annual gross domestic product (GDP). | January 5 - February 4 2012 | Various |
| Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon | Annual marathon race held every January. $250,000 for first place for both men and women. Also features a 10 km road race and 3 km fun run. | January 27 2012 | Starts and finishes in Downtown Dubai, near Burj Khalifa. |
| Dubai Desert Classic | European PGA Tour event. | February 6 - February 12 2012 | Emirates Golf Club |
| Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships | Tennis tournament feauturing all the top players. | February 20 - March 3 2012. | Dubai Tennis Stadium |
| Dubai International Jazz Festival | Jazz bands and artists from around the world. | February 16- February 24 2012 | Dubai Festival City |
| Dubai International Boat Show | The largest and longest established boat show in the Middle East. | March 13 – 17 2012 | Dubai International Marine Club, next to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi |
| Taste of Dubai | Cookery demonstrations, music, entertainment, and more. | March 15 – 17 2012 | Dubai Media City |
| Art Dubai | Contemporary art fair. Features over 70 galleries from around the world. | March 21 – 24 2012 | Madinat Jumeirah |
| Dubai World Cup | The world’s richest race meeting. | March 31 2012 | Meydan Racecourse |
| Arabian Travel Market | Travel show and exhibition for tourism professionals. | April 30 - May 3 2012 | Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre |
| Dubai Summer Surprises | Weeks of entertainment and shopping.. | June - July 2012 (TBC) | Various |
| Ramadan | Ramadan is the name of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. During Ramadan all Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk. | July 20 - August 18 2012 (estimated) | - |
| Gulf Bike Week | The largest bike and off road festival in the Middle East. | October 18 – 20 2012 | Dubai Festival City |
| GITEX Shopper | Consumer IT and electronics show. Features product launches and exclusive offers. | October 2012 | Dubai Internation Convention & Exhibition Centre |
| Dubai International Motor Show | Annual auto show. Includes displays and launches by any of the world’s most exclusive brands. | November 2012 | Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre |
| Dubai International Film Festival | A week-long film festival showcasing a wide selection of features, shorts and documentaries from around the world. | December 9 - 16 2012 | Various |
| Dubai Rugby Sevens | Annual rugby union sevens tournament. Part of the IRB Sevens World Series. One of the biggest events on the social calendar. | December 2012 | The Sevens |
| UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship | 2-day powerboat racing event. | December 2012 | Dubai International Marine Club, next to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi |