January
a sful month here blis
when much of the
world is suffering post-
holiday doldrums and
icy conditions� expect
daytime temperatures
averaging a pleasant 25°c,
though nights can be cool�7 bai du shopping
festival
Held from mid-January to
mid-February, this shop-
ping festival draws hordes
of bargain-hunting tourists
from around the world.
There are huge discounts
in the souqs and malls,
and the city is abuzz with
activities, ranging from
live concerts to fireworks.
(www.mydsf.com)2 bai Marathondu
With mild January weather
and one of the flattest andfastest courses in the world,
this full marathon attracts
pounding participation
from all over the world.
(www.dubaimarathon.org)f bruarye
a other warm and winning n
month, with sun-kissed
weather and plenty going
on, including many outdoor
events� pack a light jacket
or pashmina for those al
fresco evenings�3 bai du
international Jazz
festival
This increasingly popular
event has had locals foot-
tapping since 2003. Per-
formances take place over
nine days in the outdoor
amphitheatre at Dubai
Media City and past acts
include such musical heavy-
weights as Kool & the Gang
and Alison Moyet. (www
.dubaijazzfest.com)2 bai Tennis du
championships
Attracting the big serves
of the world’s top pros, the
men’s and women’s events
are a firm fixture on the
international tennis tours.
(www.dubaitennis
championships.com)z irates em airline
international festival
of literature
A literary event that show-
cases authors and poets
from the Middle East, as
well as international best-
selling writers such as
Wilbur Smith and Margaret
Atwood. (www.eaifl.com)March
The weather might be
heating up a fraction,
but it is still near perfect
in this action-packed
month, with warm seas for
swimming and plenty of
space on the sand�z t ar dubai
Art is becoming big busi-
ness in the Gulf and the
growing number of gal-
leries confirms the trend.
Madinat Jumeirah provides
a glamorous setting for
artists, dealers and gallery
owners to canvas their art.
(www.artdubai.ae)3 n -alai classics
festival
International top talent –
from cellist Yo-Yo Ma to
Prague’s Bennewitz
Quar tet – perform classical
music concerts in the evoca-
tive setting of the restoredMonth by Month
T po eVenTsbai du shopping festival,
January–February
dubai international
Jazz festival, February
art dubai, March
WoMad, April
dubai international film
festival, December