DUBAI, 28th July, 2026 (WAM) — The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has announced Dubai’s ambitious 2026-27 promotional roadmap, highlighting the city’s integrated approach to retail, tourism, hospitality and entertainment, during a high-level forum hosted on Monday by IBPC Dubai.
The expanded calendar includes the launch of a dedicated 10-day Electronics Festival in April 2027, following industry feedback calling for a platform similar to GITEX Shopper. This reflects Dubai’s strategy to strengthen its position as a leading global destination for shopping, tourism and entertainment, while supporting the growth of the retail sector through year-round events and innovative experiences.
The “Dubai Promotions Impact” forum, organised by the Retail, Hospitality & Tourism (RHT) Focus Group of IBPC Dubai, brought together officials from the DET, NielsenIQ and leading retailers to discuss market trends, Dubai’s promotional roadmap and opportunities to sustain growth in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.
Mohammed Feras Arayqat, Acting Vice President – Retail Calendar & Promotions at DET, said that a successful festival brings traffic to restaurants, malls, hotels and attractions. This integrated approach is at the heart of Dubai Calendar.
Over the past decade, Dubai’s annual events calendar has grown from 12 to more than 80 events, with flagship initiatives including the 29th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises, encompassing the Great Dubai Summer Sale, Back-to-School campaigns and the “Win Your Home in Dubai” initiative, among others.
Arayqat said that DET is working with payment networks and strategic partners to develop an advanced retailer insights dashboard that will provide businesses with deeper intelligence on consumer spending, high-growth retail categories, location performance and market trends.
Responding to questions on AI, Arayqat stressed that technology should enhance rather than replace business strategy. “We look at AI as complementary. It supports our wider initiatives.”
Presenting the latest market intelligence, Roshni Sheth, Retail Customer Success Leader, APP; Smit Joshi, Retail Manager, Insights; and Gurpreet Aulukh, Senior Manager, Insights, NielsenIQ, highlighted the resilience of the UAE retail market amid evolving consumer behaviour.
UAE FMCG grew by 7.3 percent, with e-commerce accounting for 13 percent of FMCG sales and more than 30 percent of technology and durables revenue. While 46 percent of consumers are actively monitoring their spending, online retail continues to outperform offline channels, growing 23 percent compared with 2.4 percent.
The speakers noted that retailers must shift from broad discounting to value-led, targeted promotions, with Ramadan, Dubai Shopping Festival, Back-to-School and Black Friday remaining key demand drivers. They also highlighted the continued growth of the UAE’s AED8.7 billion consumer electronics market, underpinned by e-commerce, convenience and changing customer expectations.
Closing the forum, Dr. Sahitya Chaturvedi, Secretary-General of IBPC Dubai, highlighted the scale and diversity of Dubai’s AED228 billion retail economy, noting that visitor spending continues to fuel growth across luxury, fashion, jewellery, perfumes and food, not just consumer electronics.
He also announced the launch of the inaugural IBPC Retail Festival on 1st October 2026, positioning it as a new platform to bring together industry leaders, policymakers and businesses to shape the future of retail in the UAE.
“The discussions reinforced that as Dubai’s promotional calendar continues to expand and consumer expectations evolve, closer collaboration between government and industry, supported by data, innovation and customer-centric strategies, will remain central to sustaining growth across the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors,” he concluded.
Source: Emirates News Agency