The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), a division of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, has announced remarkable achievements in organizing festivals, events, and unique experiences in the emirate throughout 2025. This has reinforced Dubai’s status as a leading global destination for retail, entertainment, tourism, and innovation. The successes recorded over the past year highlight the crucial role the organization plays in stimulating economic growth and supporting the ambitious goals set forth by Dubai’s Economic Agenda 33D, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033 and solidify the emirate’s presence as a premier global center for business and leisure.
In 2025, DFRE hosted a diverse array of noteworthy festivals, including the 30th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival, the ninth run of the Dubai Fitness Challenge attracting record crowds, the fourth Dubai Games and Digital Sports Festival, and the 28th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises. These events were part of a broader roster of over 1,000 activities held across the emirate, collectively attracting millions of residents and visitors, bolstering economic activity across various sectors, and showcasing Dubai’s unique ability to provide unforgettable experiences tailored to diverse tastes.
A Significant Milestone
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of DFRE, stated, “Under the wise directives of our leadership, 2025 marked a significant milestone in DFRE’s journey, as we witnessed numerous record-breaking achievements in organizing leading festivals and events. This success reflects Dubai’s integrated approach regarding tourism, retail, and entertainment, supported by exceptional collaboration between the public and private sectors. From the 30th Dubai Shopping Festival to record participation in the Dubai Fitness Challenge, we effectively delivered extraordinary experiences that positively impacted Dubai’s global appeal. As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the annual Dubai Retail Calendar, which features 18 festivals and campaigns throughout a span of 250 days, we continue to support Dubai’s Economic Agenda 33D and reinforce the emirate’s position as a global hub for business and leisure, and the top destination for living, working, and visiting.”
The Retail Sector
Retail initiatives launched by DFRE achieved outstanding results in 2025. Promotional campaigns recorded an average increase of 144% in spending, 86% in customer satisfaction, and 80% in awareness levels regarding these initiatives. These efforts saw extensive participation from over 1,300 brands, offering their products in more than 4,000 stores. The launch of the Dubai Summer Sale and the innovative “Shop, Scan, Win” initiative led to sales exceeding 150 million dirhams, recording a 200% increase in spending, and an 88% rise in customer satisfaction in the retail sector.
Dubai Shopping Festival
The Dubai Shopping Festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025 by achieving a historic milestone with the launch of its largest and most comprehensive edition to date. The festival took place over 38 days from December 6, 2024, to January 12, 2025, turning Dubai into a hub of continuous celebratory activities, featuring over 125 events and experiences across more than 60 locations in the emirate. It also included 619 concerts and high-profile entertainment shows, along with shopping experiences in over 3,500 stores from more than 850 participating brands across over 100 shopping centers. The festival introduced numerous new experiences, including Dubai Shopping Festival Nights at Dubai Festival City Mall, and the Auto Season featuring over 2,000 cars displayed throughout 16 different events. Shopping activities reached record levels, with more than 295 promotional events and raffles, offering prizes valued at nearly 50 million dirhams, distributed to 1,115 lucky winners, which included 23 brand-new cars and 21 million dirhams in cash prizes, along with 1.5 million dirhams in gold prizes.
Record Participation
The Dubai Fitness Challenge concluded its most comprehensive edition yet, achieving a record participation level of approximately 3 million participants, aligning with the aspirations to make Dubai one of the most active and vibrant cities in the world. The ninth edition of the challenge took place in November, encouraging citizens, residents, and visitors to commit to 30 minutes of daily activity for 30 days under the slogan “Find Your Challenge.” The main events of the challenge saw unprecedented participation, with over 307,000 individuals partaking in the Dubai Run sponsored by Mai Dubai, marking a 338% increase compared to its inaugural edition in 2019, while the Dubai Ride sponsored by DP World saw a record of 40,327 participants. Additionally, over 5,000 people took part in the Dubai Stand-Up Paddle Challenge, and the Dubai Yoga event achieved significant success in its inaugural edition with 3,500 participants.
Sporting Events
November also hosted several prominent international sporting events, further establishing Dubai as a significant global sports destination. The fourth Dubai Games and Digital Sports Festival concluded successfully, drawing over 45,000 attendees, including families and professionals, across 12 major events over 17 days packed with engaging activities. The festival fostered extensive interaction with all stakeholders in the digital gaming ecosystem, reaching a wide audience from families to students, developers, and entrepreneurs. A total of 775 companies and brands participated in the festival’s activities.
Dubai Summer Surprises
The 2025 Dubai Summer Surprises season wrapped up as its most lively and highest-value edition to date, transforming Dubai into an optimal summer destination over 66 days from June 27 to August 31. The 28th edition marked a significant leap by launching three major shopping seasons for the first time in its history. Entertainment events flourished, featuring 76 concerts and entertainment shows across 35 locations throughout the emirate.
Business Events
In 2025, Dubai continued to strengthen its presence as a premier global business events hub. The Dubai Business Events office, responsible for attracting events and conferences to the city and part of DFRE, led efforts to secure such events. Last year, Dubai hosted 481 events thanks to the office’s active bidding successes, achieving an 11% annual growth. Furthermore, to expand event offerings for the upcoming years, the office secured bids for 504 international events, including conferences, exhibitions, and meetings scheduled to take place in Dubai through 2029. Combined, these events are expected to draw over 270,000 participants from around the world, contributing to economic impact and supporting knowledge-based growth in the emirate.