Leisure Events in Dubai – Fun for Everyone

Going by the acronym of DIFF, the Dubai Film Festival is the leading one of its kind in the Middle East. Its first iteration took place in 2004, and since then, it has occurred fourteen more times, with the last one having taken place in December of 2017. The festival showcases works by Arab and global artists. Filmmakers, actors and writers converge on Dubai at the end of each year for this prestigious event. The Condé Nast Travel magazine has proclaimed the Dubai Film Festival to be among the top fifteen film festivals on the planet. If you can score yourself a ticket to this event, you'll be able to mingle with the stars. Past attendees have included A-list actors such as Patrick Stewart.

Ramadan is known as the month of fasting, and you would be forgiven for thinking that this doesn't seem like much cause for celebration. However, you would be mistaken. While Islam dictates that its followers fast from morning till sundown, the period between sunset and dawn is free to be enjoyed to the fullest when it comes to food. What does this mean? In the evenings during the Holy Month of Ramadan, every day is like a gourmet party. There are food-related promotions everywhere and the spreads are extravagant. Whether you are staying at a luxurious Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai including the likes of DUKES DUBAI or find accommodation in Deira, rest assured that lavish Ramadan buffets will be a highlight of your stay. If you visit Dubai during Ramadan, please note that as a foreigner, you are not expected to fast. However, you are expected to use discretion with regards to consuming food in public before sundown in consideration of those that are.

This equine sporting event is held on the last Saturday of March each year. The Dubai Cup was created by Dubai's Sheikh, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the Prime Minister of the UAE. The event takes place every year at the Meydan Racecourse and features nine races which participants of the highest skill levels take part in. After all the horse riding is done, the day usually ends on a high note with a Dubai World Cup entertainment show.

Up for a challenge? The Dubai Marathon takes place at the start of the year in January and has been hailed as the richest long distance running event of all time. This is because it offers winners a quarter of a million US dollars as prize money and a grand prize of one million dollars for winners who have also broken a world record.

Once more the largest of its kind in the region, the Dubai Jazz Festival is an annual music festival which has featured acts such as John Legend and Sting over the years. The festival recently celebrated its 15th anniversary.