Thousands of shoppers queued outside the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Saturday morning, awaiting the official opening of Gitex Shopper 2014, said the organisers.

The largest and most popular consumer IT and electronics show in the Middle East, Gitex Shopper runs until October 4.

The event was inaugurated by Helal Saeed Almarri, the director general, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and chief executive of DWTC.

Excitement was high as shoppers flooded the halls on the opening day, eager to take advantage of the 30,000 products and latest deals on smartphones, digital cameras, HD TVs, tablets and a broad spectrum of the latest electronic gadgets, said the organisers.

The fun festival atmosphere saw visitors enjoying live music and entertainment, interactive product trials and a host of incredible giveaways. A wide choice of casual dining options added to a great day out for the family.

“Thanks to the commitment of the best brands and biggest retailers in the region, we are expecting another incredibly busy and successful show,” remarked Trixie LohMirmand, the senior vice president of DWTC.

“There is no better place to find the widest range of the latest technology, and we believe visitors will be delighted with what’s on offer this week,” he added.

Mahesh Chotrani, the assistant vice president of Jacky’s Electronics, sees Gitex Shopper as an important platform for engaging with and delighting their customers: “Our ‘Dreambox: Shop, Unlock, Win’ promotion, in partnership with Hisense, invites visitors to participate in an interactive raffle to win 4K Ultra-HD and LED TVs every hour of the show."

"We are also giving away two Mini Coopers, which will be displayed at our stands along with exclusive bundle offers and discounts that are bigger than ever. Among the products that will be highlighted at the show are the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which are also available in all our stores," stated Chotrani.

"There will also be exclusive offers across the UHD and 4K LED TVs in big screen sizes ranging from 65-inch, 75-inch and above." he added.

Lenovo also promises incredible giveaways during the show as Mohammed Hilili, the general manager, Lenovo UAE and Saudi Arabia, explained: "Gitex Shopper is one of the most anticipated electronics consumer events in the region. In the Gitex Shopper Spring edition, Lenovo was crowned the top selling vendor in PCs and this week we aim to offer even more to our customers."

"Purchases of the highly acclaimed Yoga 2 PRO stand the chance of winning a convertible Ford Mustang. In addition we will have tablets and phones, bundled with select notebooks, as value offerings to our customers," stated Hilili.

Gitex Shopper 2014 runs until October 4 from 11am to 11pm every day. Tickets have been priced at Dh30 ($8.1) per person and are available at the venue and at select Emarat outlets. A promotional entry ticket price of Dh10 ($2.7) is available for students pre-registered in groups over 50. Entry is free for children below the age of five.

With over 100 big name retailers and well-known brands such as Asus, Better Life, Hisense, Huawei, HP, Jumbo Electronics, Nikon, Samsung, Seagate, Western Digital and Wiko offering over 30,000 products, the unbeatable prices, promotions and giveaways are set to continue all week, said the organisers.

Making it down to the show on any of the remaining days will also give visitors the chance to win a limited edition Honda Accord car being given away daily, university scholarships, tickets to Spain to watch FC Barcelona live, DSLR cameras, tablets and more, they added.-TradeArabia News Service