Lifestyle

Dubai, UAE – January 5, 2026: Global Village, the region’s leading multicultural family destination for entertainment, shopping, dining and attractions, has announced the return of its popular family event, “The Wonderers’ Kids Fest,” promising bigger games and more outdoor fun for young visitors this season.

Running from Friday, January 9 to Sunday, February 15, 2026, the festival will take place daily from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, offering families 45 days of engaging activities designed especially for children aged 3 to 12. The event is included with the purchase of a Global Village entry ticket, allowing guests to enjoy all activities at no additional cost.

Located next to the Kids’ Theatre, The Wonderers’ Kids Fest features a dedicated outdoor space where children can participate in interactive and educational games while enjoying Dubai’s cooler winter weather. This year’s edition will officially open with a special drone show at 7:20 PM on Friday, January 9, setting the stage for weeks of family-friendly entertainment.

Young guests can once again enjoy the giant Snakes and Ladders game, a former Guinness World Record title holder, alongside popular attractions such as Giant Battleship, a life-sized 4 in a Row, and the much-loved Giant Stack’Em balancing game. The Stack’Em installation will be available in two different sizes to accommodate both younger and older children.

In addition to the large-scale games, the festival will feature a range of lively experiences including free face painting, balloon modelling, inflatable clown parades, and bubble blizzards. Families can also look forward to character meet-and-greet sessions with The Wonderers, Global Village’s mascots, as well as small giveaways for participating children.

With its mix of play, creativity and exploration, The Wonderers’ Kids Fest continues to be a seasonal highlight at Global Village, reinforcing the destination’s commitment to creating joyful experiences for families and delivering “A More Wonderful World” for guests of all ages.

Dubai,December 29,2025 : Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2025 has begun announcing weekly winners for its citywide Shop, Scan & Win campaign, offering shoppers the opportunity to win from a total cash prize pool of up to AED 1 million. Running from 5 December 2025 until 11 January 2026, the campaign rewards everyday shopping with weekly cash prizes and live winner celebrations held as part of DSF Nights.

As part of the promotion, shoppers who spend AED 200 or more at any participating outlet can scan the QR code on their receipt to enter the digital raffle. Entries are collected weekly, with six winners selected every week across 15 participating malls and community centres in Dubai.

Each Wednesday, raffle winners are announced, following which selected winners are invited every Monday to the DSF Stage for a live celebration experience. During these DSF Nights events, winners spin the wheel and instantly reveal their cash prizes, which range across multiple tiers starting from AED 10,000 up to AED 33,333.

Adding to the emotional resonance of the campaign, the inaugural weekly draw witnessed a particularly memorable moment on stage when two winners discovered they were long-lost friends who had not seen each other for years. Their unexpected reunion during the live announcement created a heart-warming moment, reinforcing the community-driven spirit at the heart of Dubai Shopping Festival’s citywide celebrations.

Several winners shared heartfelt reactions upon being selected, describing feelings of surprise, excitement, and gratitude. One winner noted it was their first-ever win after living in Dubai for 19 years, while others spoke about plans to use their winnings for family celebrations, personal commitments, and upcoming holidays.

Powered by Raffle Tech, the Shop, Scan & Win campaign combines simple digital participation with on-ground excitement, making it easy for shoppers to enter while ensuring transparency and efficiency in winner selection and prize distribution.

Weekly draws continue throughout the festival, with raffle entries closing every Wednesday and live Spin-the-Wheel celebrations taking place every Monday, until the campaign concludes on 11 January 2026.

Sharjah, December 22, 2025

Sharjah is expanding its global cultural footprint with the launch of the newly renamed Sharjah
Animation and Comics Conference (SACC), an expanded evolution of the Sharjah Animation
Conference reaffirming the emirate’s commitment to nurturing creative industries and
championing storytelling in all its forms.
The 2026 edition will debut a dedicated ‘Animation and Comics Market’, making a major step in
expanding industry opportunities for creators. Set to run from 26-29 March 2026, the fourth
edition marks a significant milestone in the event’s growth. Spanning a space three times larger
than last year, SACC 2026 will introduce an expanded program featuring bigger stages, larger
exhibition areas, more hands-on workshops, and immersive activations.
As part of its expanded mandate, SACC will launch the official census of Arab illustrators,
authors, artists, animators, and creatives working across the Middle East and North Africa. This
initiative aims to create the first comprehensive mapping of the region’s creative community. All
Arab creators are invited to participate and contribute to building a unified, long-term Arab
creative ecosystem.
Organised annually by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), SACC has become one of the
region’s most influential gatherings for illustrators, animators, publishers, producers and
emerging creators. The previous edition in May 2025 drew more than 5,000 visitors from around
the world, hosting over 70 international experts exploring the rising intersection of AI-driven
innovation and human imagination.

Khoula Al Mujaini, Executive Director of SACC, reaffirmed that the conference continues to build
on the cultural vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme
Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, under the guidance of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour
bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).
“Sharjah has always believed in the power of creativity to drive knowledge, innovation, and
cultural exchange. Through the Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference, we are not only
connecting creators from across the region and the world, but also nurturing a vibrant
ecosystem where Arab talent can thrive, collaborate, and shine on the global stage. SACC 2026
represents our commitment to building a future where storytelling and imagination shape
industries, inspire communities, and elevate the region’s creative voice internationally,” she
said.

Abudhabi, 18th December, 2025 (WAM) — The United Arab Emirates’ tourism sector continued its strong upward trajectory in 2025, consolidating its position as one of the country’s most dynamic economic sectors and a major magnet for investment and visitors, supported by world-class infrastructure, flagship projects and strong competitiveness indicators.Tourism and travel sector contributed AED257.3 billion to gross domestic product, accounting for 13 percent of the national economy. Hotel establishments welcomed 23.27 million guests in the first nine months of the year, up 4.9% year on year, while hotel nights exceeded 79.3 million. Hotel revenues rose 7.2% to more than AED 35.9 billion.

Average hotel occupancy increased to 79.2%, while the number of occupied rooms rose 3.5% to 46.17 million. The average daily room rate climbed 4.2% to AED 557, supported by total capacity of 216,248 rooms across 1,246 hotel establishments. The aviation sector also maintained strong momentum, with Abu Dhabi Airports, Dubai International Airport and Sharjah International Airport handling a combined 108.59 million passengers by the end of September.

The year saw the launch and announcement of several major tourism projects, including the AED 2 billion “Therme Dubai” wellness and leisure destination; the opening of Abu Dhabi’s interactive Butterfly Sanctuary; the Wynn Al Marjan Island hotel and resort in Ras Al Khaimah; the Avani+ Fujairah Resort scheduled to open in 2028; the AED 3.5 billion Al Tay Hills project in Sharjah; the second phase of the Umm Al Qaiwain Creek Waterfront; and the announcement of a Disney theme park and resort on Yas Island, one of the largest global entertainment projects.

In February, the fifth edition of the “World’s Coolest Winter” campaign concluded under the theme “Green Tourism,” generating hotel revenues of nearly AED 1.9 billion, up 86.9%, and attracting more than 4.4 million guests, a 62% increase compared with the previous edition. The campaign reached 224.7 million people worldwide.

The UAE renewed its membership on the Executive Council of UN Tourism for the 2025–2029 term, underscoring its international role in shaping the future of global tourism.

In a historic milestone, Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais was elected Secretary-General of UN Tourism for the 2026–2029 term, becoming the first woman to hold the post since the organisation’s establishment.

Among other highlights in 2025, Masfout village was named “Best Tourism Village in the World 2025,” while the UAE ranked among the world’s top seven destinations for international tourism spending.