Sahara Centre, the leading family and shopping destination in Sharjah, held various high-profile initiatives during Eid this October, which resulted in a 40% increase in traffic compared to last year.

“The Eid holidays are a time when families seek shopping, dining and entertainment options and now they do not have to leave Sharjah to find world-class amenities. Sahara Centre is witnessing tremendous growth in popularity since our ambitious mall extension,” said Akram Ammar, Sahara Centre’s managing director.

This Eid, families had a chance to meet and greet the popular Shaabiat Al Cartoon characters and enjoy photo opportunities with them.  Shaabiat Al Cartoon is an Arabic animation that started out as a mobile phone animation in 2004 but, due to popular demand, it was developed into a TV series.

Based on a group of Middle Eastern families and individuals living in Dubai, the series portrays their lives and traditions in a very humorous and engaging way. The animated series has a loyal fan following across the Middle East and has also gained international recognition.

Mall goers were also entertained by a traditional Ayala Band and a Scottish Parade. These were huge hits and reiterated Sahara Centre’s status as the most engaging destination in Sharjah.

Other popular activities during Eid included arts and crafts for children and high-profile social media contests.

Sahara Centre organised two Instagram competitions during Eid. One was a chance to win a shopping spree with popular fashion blogger Nadya Hasan, who is a local style icon. Eid shoppers had to first follow Sahara Centre’s Instagram and repost the competition’s artwork to stand a chance to win great prizes. Ms. Vimala Kumari won AED 5,000 worth of shopping allowance and a chance to shop with Nadya Hasan.

In another popular competition, mall goers had to share their dining experience at Sahara Centre on Instagram to have a chance to win AED 500 worth of gift vouchers daily.

Sahara Centre is strategically located on the Dubai-Sharjah highway and first opened its doors to customers in February 2002. This year the mall upgraded facilities and added new stores as part of the shopping mall’s extension.