DUBAI — Tourism is not limited to visiting new places, but to have new and different experiences. Food tourism is one of the tourism types that you would definitely enjoy during Dubai Food Festival (DFF), that kicked off on Feb. 21 and continues until March 9.

DFF is a real indulge for foodies who would take pleasure in mixing with various cultures through tastes, food culinary events, activities and dining experiences across Dubai. miX Dubai by Alain Ducasse at Emerald Palace Kempinski, Palm Jumeirah brings contemporary French know-how, and features a well-rounded menu changing according to the season. It provides a one-of-a-kind experience of inspired French cuisine with local and international influences.

One of the experiences you will be keen on is the swyp Beach Canteen. It gathers distinct food trucks to try a variety of cuisines, you can also watch culinary professionals show off their skills at the Cooking Court. The cuisines vary from Emirati, Asian, Levant, Mediterranean, Mexican and many others. But it is not all food, you can watch movies under the stars, enjoy live performances at the swyp Beach Canteen mainstage, or watch the gaming zone, retail garden, workshops, fun zone, sports court and kids play park.

Cheese Festival is the first and only cheese fest held in Westin Mina Seyahi on Friday evening and Saturday all day long and received 2,500 visitors on the first day and expected around 8,000 guests throughout the fest. Cheese lovers had the chance to taste diverse cheeses from around the world. There were also hands on experiences, exciting competitions and you have the chance to buy imported cheeses. Children at the Cheese Fest had dedicated activities that kept them entertaining throughout the day.

‘Carnival by Tresind’ is a progressive Indian restaurant based on the modernist Indian cuisine. It presents a contemporary interpretation of Indian cuisine in a chic and minimalistic ambience. Food is accompanied by fun at Carnival by Tresind. Guests enjoy the artistic sorcery at the table where the chef prepares delicious desserts in an artistic way.

A lover of Asian cuisines and flavors and a fan of noodles and dim sum, you will have the opportunity to attend a master class at Zhen Wei Caesars Palace Bluewaters. The foodie experience is an addition to the present edition of DFF. With over 20 curated experiences, you will get unique insights into how the famous dishes like dim sum and hand pulled noodles are made and have the chance to do it by yourself with top chefs.

The Japanese KYO restaurant that is newly launched hot-spot, The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah is one more Asian treat, offering the authentic Japanese cuisine. You will enjoy seafood, vegetarian and vegan options. Never miss the great tasteful makis and sushis.

The French Pierre’s restaurant, by chef Pierre Gagnaire winner of three Michelin Stars, is one of the most tasteful place to dine-in, in Dubai. It offers not only French cuisines, yet the French inspired décor and ambiance. The hand crafted menu by chef Pierre varies from appetizers to main courses of sea food, meat, pastas, you will find vegetarian options.

Running throughout the festival in partnership with Zomato and Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) ‘Dine & Win’ promotion gives foodies the chance to win big prizes including Zomato gold memberships, online ordering promo codes and pendants from Jawhara Jewelry. One lucky winner can get the chance to take home a brand-new Nissan Patrol. By spending AED50 at any of the 237 participating restaurants across the city, diners will be part of a massive draw to win exciting prizes. Winners will be announced at swyp Beach Canteen on March 9.

flydubai had announced last week that it will boost its services to Saudi Arabia with 12 new flights per week. It will add one more daily flight to Riyadh and five flights a week to Hofuf that will start from March 16. Commenting on the increase of flights Hamad Obaidalla, chief commercial officer at flydubai, said: «Saudi Arabia remains an important market for flydubai and we are delighted to be able to increase our services to the Kingdom as trade and tourism between the UAE and Saudi Arabia continues to grow.”