The launch of this year’s 15th Dubai Summer Surprises Festival will coincide with the return of the region’s highly-popular Modhesh World, a family edutainment facility.“Dubai. Summer Fun and More” is this year’s festival slogan.Announcing this yesterday as part of a GCC-wide road show, Ibrahim Saleh, festival co-ordinator general and deputy chief executive officer of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), said that the popularity of the festival is growing up every year. “Last year more than 122,000 people from Qatar visited Dubai during the festival period.”At the briefing, Khalid al-Serkal, country manager, Emirates Airlines, which is the festival’s main sponsor, was also present.Saleh said the festival will get off to a flying start on June 14 and festivities will continue up to July 14.However the activities at Modhesh World will continue until the end of Eid al-Fitr, which is expected to be around August 22. Modhesh World is the largest indoor edutainment of its kind in the region. This year it will take place at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. Saleh said the high visitor traffic between Doha and Dubai is being eased by the presence of more than 20 daily flights between the two cities.Describing Dubai as a perfect destination for Qataris to travel, Saleh said both Qatar and the UAE have many things in common, especially culture.The DEPE official said Dubai’s packed activity calendar and highly mature tourism infrastructure makes tours to the place a relaxed and wonderful experience. “Its wide variety of events, activities and diversified shopping options make it a vibrant destination,” added Saleh.Al-Serkal recalled that Emirates has been a key sponsor of the festival since its inception in 1998. “The Emirates Airlines’ support to the event comes as part of its ongoing commitment to develop Dubai into a world-leading tourism and business destination.”He said Emirates has five daily flights between Doha and Dubai and it would be increased to six in August. Al- Serkal informed that Washington, Barcelona, Ho Chi Minh City and Lisbon flights would be launched later this year.The summer festival will feature such events as World of Stories, Min Beladi, Sheila and Abaya fashion and kids fashion week besides cartoon shows. Also as part of the festival, offers and discounts will be available at nearly 6,000 retail outlets, spread over 70 shopping malls. A host of raffle draws, featuring such prizes as cars have been also planned.