Residents, tourists may request for information in Arabic or in English by sending SMS to mDubai’s 4488

February 9, 2010

Dubai eGovernment has announced the launch of its popular instant information service on Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2010 events through mDubai, providing the public with a reliable, up-to-date communication platform about the daily activities related to Dubai’s annual shopping extravaganza. mDubai is an innovative communication channel that facilitates interaction between the public and government departments via SMS.
 
The DSF 2010 service provides information about five random events on any given day. To request information in Arabic for five random events, users only need to type “DSF A” and send it as an SMS to 4488. The same information can be received in English by typing “DSF E”.

“DSF is one of the most important entertainment and shopping festivals of the year as there are numerous fun-filled activities such as concerts, exhibitions, competitions and promotions that offer exciting prizes. Dubai eGovernment’s goal is to allow residents and tourists to have a truly enjoyable experience throughout the DSF festivities by providing up-to-date information about the daily activities,” said Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director-General, Dubai eGovernment.
 
“Users may request information about a random list of activities so that they can set a schedule and choose which places they would like to visit first. This service is particularly useful for tourists or visitors who will be in Dubai only for a short period. Having experienced the advantages of the mDubai information service during DSF 2009, residents and visitors are now again taking advantage of this innovative service as shown by the growing volume of requests we have received since the service was launched,” he added.

The mDubai service is one of the most successful e-services of Dubai eGovernment as it receives thousands of pull messages and sends millions of push messages each year. Some of the most common push messages include health card expiry notifications; traffic on roads; driving test notifications; traffic fines notifications; opening and closing timings of water bridges; trade licence expiry notifications and payment voucher notifications.
 
The most widely availed pull messages include fines enquiries from Dubai Police; flight information from Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; prayer timings from Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department; transaction status inquiries from Dubai Department of Economic Development and daily event schedule inquiries for Dubai Summer Surprises and DSF.

Attractive prizes including Chevrolet Cruze, LCD TVs, netbooks and home theatres to be won at TSC during annual extravaganza

January 27, 2010
  
The 15th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) which commences on January 28, 2010 serves as an excellent promotion vehicle for Dubai’s retail sector, which is looking forward to a positive year after a period of relative slowdown as a result of the global economic downturn, according to Times Square Center (TSC), one of the newest community oriented shopping centers in Dubai.

In line with major expectations from DSF 2010, Times Square Center has announced attractive promotions at the Center, including raffle draws to win a Chevrolet Cruze, Toshiba LCD TVs, Sony Home Theatres, Dell Inspiron netbook computers and gift vouchers, among others. In addition, popular TSC tenants such as Toys R Us, Sharaf DG, YellowHat and Chillout are offering major discounts and promotions to customers throughout DSF.

“The timing of Dubai Shopping Festival 2010 could not have been better. Economies around the world, particularly in the Middle East, are currently recovering from the impact of the economic crisis. In the UAE, consumer confidence has improved steadily over the recent weeks, and we expect DSF 2010 to add further impetus to Dubai’s retail segment,” said Anthony J O’Donnell, General Manager, Times Square Center.
              
“This year too we have planned a range of exciting and ‘real value’ promotions for customers, in addition to the daily raffles and the grand raffle draw. We are confident of another successful year of participation in the Dubai Shopping Festival,” he added.

Strategically located in Dubai’s premier business district on Sheikh Zayed Road, Times Square Center features a wide selection of top brands offering a complete range of choices from lifestyle, home accessories, electronics, food, fashion, car accessories, sports equipments for everybody. TSC is also home to some of the emirate’s unique hangouts such as Chillout Cafe, which is Dubai’s only sub-zero lounge and restaurant.