The DSF has established itself as the leading special "shopping" event in the world, others have tried with their own success, but no one has really been able to match the passion and success of this great festival. In its first year in 1996, 1.5 million people attended and in 1999 this figure increased to a staggering 2.4 million which resulted in incremental sales of US$ 1.12 billion, and these figures have been growing ever since. in 2005 there was an estimated 3.3 million!

Going back for the beginning of Dubai shopping festival, and due to the huge number of visitors, through the previous eight cycles we conclude that the event attracted at its first cycle in 1996 1.6 million visitors during 43 days. This number reaches the same total in the next cycle in no more than 31 day.

While in 1998, the number of visitor's increases to be 2.2 in the same period, and in 1999, the event attracted 2.4 million visitors in 28 days. The fifth cycle witnesses a high growth in its visitors, which end at 25 million visitors during 31-day only and 2.55 visitors in 2001. In 2002, the number increase to reach 2.68 in 31 festival days. Dubai shopping festival 2003, attracted the largest number of visitors, one could say, it was the best among other cycle since it recorded the highest number: 2.92 million visitors in no more than 32 festival days.