31 days of shopping deals, prizes and fun.

DUBAI A month of shopping deals, cash prizes and family entertainment kicks off today with Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS).

The city is studded with sale signs and bright decorations for the annual event -- being held from June 14 to July 14 -- featuring car raffles, cash and gold prizes, shopping vouchers and children's shows.

About 6,000 shops in 70 malls are offering discounts of up to 75 per cent this DSS. Meanwhile, winners of the Grand Raffle weekly prize will drive off with a Nissan Patrol, in addition to Dh150,000 in cash, each week for five weeks.

There will also be weekly draws to win a brand new Nissan Micra, one each week for four weeks.

The things that are new this DSS include special discount packages under the 'Dubai Spas' theme, which has roped in some of the most luxurious spas in town.

The extravaganza, in its 15th edition, has over 100 shows lined up, many of them for kids featuring stars from the world of cartoons.

Another kids' fun spectacle is Modhesh World, named after the DSS mascot at the Dubai World Trade Centre. For grown-ups, there will also be fashion shows and events highlighting the UAE culture. Returning this year is the DSS Apprenticeship Programme, which will once again draw top student talent from the region to Dubai for an intensive two-week marketing internship.

DSS fans can stay up to date with the latest deals and attractions through Twitter feeds from @Dxb_Events and posts on www.facebook.com/dxbevents

The carnival is said to be the biggest summer event in the region. The first DSS was launched in 1998, welcoming 600,000 visitors, while last year's edition saw around four million visitors with a total visitor spend of almost Dh9 billion, compared to Dh850 million in the debut round.

For more details, visit www.dubaievents.ae

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