DUBAI — The 10th edition of the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) has been geared to provide the best in summer leisure experience for tourists and residents alike.

More than 200 events are slated to be held at the Modhesh Fun City and at various malls within the emirate from June 21 to August 31, organisers announced at a Press conference.

The Modhesh Fun City, which has been moved this year to the Airport Expo Dubai from its previous location at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, will serve as venue for edutainment, cultural and sports activities for children.

At a brief ceremony held at the Airport Expo Dubai on Tuesday, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Group, as well as Chairman of the DSS and Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) Supreme Committee, lauded the support extended by the private and public sectors to the annual summer event.

Over the years since it was launched in 1998, DSS has proved to be a vital factor in encouraging tourism and shopping activities in the emirate during summer, which was earlier considered a lean season for various industries.

The number of visitors to Dubai during summer has jumped from 600,000 in 1998 to nearly 1.9 million in 2006, DSS statistics has shown. Likewise, tourist expenditure figures rose to a whopping Dh2.57 billion in 2006 as against a humble start of Dh850 million in 1998.

In celebration of the DSS’s decade-long existence, organisers announced that the 10 thematic ‘surprises’ this year will be held simultaneously and will last throughout the 10-week summer celebration.

The ‘Ten Surprises’ have been designed to cater not only to children but to teenagers and adults as well. The 10th DSS edition will start on June 21 and continue until August 31.

Meanwhile, The Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) Office has updated its web site, www.mydss.ae, to provide comprehensive information on the events that will take place during the 10th edition of DSS.

The DSS web site boasts a bright and catchy cover page where users have a choice of two languages, English and Arabic. Visitor can get comprehensive insights on DSS and all essential information related to shopping, entertainment, and tourist attractions in Dubai. Laila Suhail, DSS Executive Project Director, said: “The DSS web site uses the latest technology to help surfers get all the information they want at the click of a mouse. Dubai has one of the highest number of Internet surfers who look up for festival details such as schedules, dates and timings of events and activities at the web site. So the number of hits that our web site receives is very encouraging,” she said.

Suhail said they will also receive feedback from website visitors to help improve the site further.

“Since DSS is a prestigious social, cultural and economic event for Dubai, the web site provides the perfect interface between people and the summer festival, not just locally but also for regional and international visitors,” she added.

One of the attractions of the web site is the inclusion of the DSS 2007 Spa Packages, a highlight in this year’s DSS. Spa enthusiasts can access a wide range of information on the 21 participating spas, the treatments offered, and exclusive promotions for DSS visitors.

Retailers who wish to register their outlets as part of the ‘Summer Deals’ can now download application forms from the web site. Similarly, registration forms for Modhesh Friends’ Club and In-Mall events like The Collectors and Photography Exhibition are also available on the web site.