Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2011, the region’s premiere retail, leisure and entertainment event, honoured the winners of its journalism and photography awards at an exclusive event in Dubai.

The 16th edition of DSF, which kicked off on January 20, ended yesterday (February 20) after its 32-day run.

Journalists and photographers from English and Arabic print media were honoured in various categories and handed trophies and certificates by Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director general, Dubai Department of Information, at the event held at The Address Dubai Downtown.

Laila Suhail, CEO of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (Depe), organisers of DSF, said that recognising and awarding the media for their efforts in supporting the Dubai Shopping Festival is a tradition that Depe has ensured since the start of the first DSF in 1996.

“We are very grateful to the support we receive from the local and regional media which has helped us achieve a lot of success over the past editions of DSF as well as for other activities and events that we are sponsoring,” she explained.

“Today DSF 2011 comes to an end with great success and we can surely state that the event has achieved its targets and positively contributed in energizing the retail and tourism sectors, as well as the events sector which has played an important role in attracting tourists and shoppers to Dubai,” Suhail continued.

“This attraction was also coupled by an intensive regional and international media interest in the various activities that were held during the 32 days festival which helps promote Dubai as a leading tourist destination,” she added.

“We have finalized a new strategy that better reflects Depe’s new policy and direction and we will announce it in the coming weeks,” Laila concluded.

Ibrahim Saleh, festivals coordinator general and deputy CEO of Depe, added that the launch of both awards was not only limited to recognize the members of the media, but it is also one of the ways by which the Dubai Government expresses its gratitude to the contributions of the media in the development of the UAE during the past four decades. – TradeArabia News Service