Shopping is always an adventure in Dubai, whether one is buying Arabian paintings or exotic spices in the Spice Souk, or trying on the latest fashions from Paris at Wafi City.

There are more shopping malls than you could poke a dirham note at, with 40 major emporia in the city alone. And this being Dubai, that number is probably already outdated, especially since around 20 new malls are currently under construction.

Savvy shoppers are in seventh heaven as Dubai Mall at the Burj Dubai (the world's tallest tower) vies with the Mall of Arabia at Dubailand for the title of the world's largest mall.

And when it comes to staging huge, world-class events, no one does it better than Dubai. So it comes as little surprise to learn that the world's dedicated shopaholics celebrate each new year by attending the annual Dubai Shopping Festival.

This year, though, the Festival may be scrapped following the death of Dubai ruler Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. A decision is expected on Jan 14. The mega fireworks display to mark the opening of the Festival was cancelled, as were all festivities related to the event.

Billed as the world's largest family event, the Festival - now into its first decade - is not for the faint-hearted.

This is serious, adrenaline-pumping retail therapy with around three million visitors arriving in town for the event - drawn like bees to the honeyed promise of "the world's best brands at the world's best prices", the Festival's key promotional message.

If it is not cancelled, the festival will be on until Feb 4, a solid month of retail frenzy and the Festival's fabled prizes. On each day of the 32-day festival, a lucky shopper will win a Lexus 4X4, a Lexus saloon and US$27,000 cash in the Lexus Mega Raffle.

Pack some very comfortable walking shoes, protein bars (you do not want to waste time eating) and a couple of empty suitcases.

Jason Hahn is a freelance writer.

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