The Black Friday shopping bonanza has become an annual tradition for bargain hunters, with millions of people around the world seeking deals.
In the UAE, the event is also referred to as “White Friday”. This is in recognition of the region revering Fridays as a day of worship and a time for gatherings of friends and family.
Global Black Friday sales hit about $74.4 billion in 2024, a nearly 5 per cent annual rise, data from Resourcera shows. Analysts expect a similar upward trend this year.
On Friday, November 28, this year, shoppers in the US alone spent $8.6 billion online, up 9.4 per cent year-on-year, an Adobe Analytics report found – showing how consumers are increasingly favouring shopping on the web compared to visiting physical stores, owing to the latter’s overall convenience further sweetened by extra discounts and deals offered exclusively online.
But spending aside, there’s more to this in the UAE: the big shopping day’s relationship with consumers has continued to evolve, analysts say, with the growth in online shopping and introduction of buy-now-pay-later programmes fuelling new trends.
Reflection in the UAE
Consumers in the Emirates are increasingly using the opportunity to make over their lifestyles, analysts say.
People are updating their wardrobes and homes, and increasing omnichannel – the mix of physical and digital ways to buy – is helping them, according to Redseer Strategy Consultants.
“What was once a purely deal-driven shopping moment has evolved into a reflection of changing consumer aspirations,” said Akshay Jayaprakasan, an associate partner at Bengaluru-based Redseer.
And while online shopping is a favoured tool, the in-store experience is regaining some ground in the Emirates, as retailers add more in-store deals and mirror what are being offered online, enticing consumers to consider both experiences.
That, in tandem with flexible financing methods such as buy-now-pay-later programmes and split-up payments, is giving consumers more confidence with their purchases, Redseer said. More than 85 per cent of shoppers are expected to increase their use of BNPL this season, it added.
“The result is a more concentrated and evenly distributed purchase landscape, suggesting that consumers are now planning to shop across a wider mix of categories, rather than focusing on just a few,” Mr Jayaprakasan said.
‘Trendy’ shopping
Colour-themed days have flourished in the UAE. Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace, has its White Friday, while homegrown Noon has Yellow Friday.
But other promotions throughout the year attract similar consumer interest. Among the most notable would be the Dubai Shopping Festival, which spans from December to January.
During the Dubai Summer Surprises, merchandise revenue grew 15 per cent, with 40 per cent coming from mobile orders, according to a report from UAE-based gifting platform Flowwow and marketing firm Admitad. The study analysed more than two million orders across the UAE, Middle East and North Africa.
The figures were enough for Flowwow to declare DSS as the “new Black Friday of the season”, and the UAE as a central hub for online shopping activity.
“The growth in cross-border orders shows just how open and globally connected the UAE market is,” Flowwow chief executive Slava Bogdan said.
A ‘stress test’
Black Friday – and, by extension, Cyber Monday and other colourful offshoots – has long been viewed as a gauge for the health of retail and consumer sentiment.
It remains “one of the biggest stress tests for the modern retail landscape”, said Trevor Jordaan, a senior director at US software firm Blue Yonder.
He said soaring e-commerce demand, fast delivery expectations and intense cross-border shopping put strain on platforms, logistics and inventory systems.
And “with high competition and highly price-sensitive shoppers, even small operational weaknesses quickly become visible”, Mr Jordaan added.
That, however, means retailers have to ramp up their online game, ensuring that their systems are ready to keep pace with that growing number of digital patrons.
“In this environment, even a small disconnect between forecasting, fulfilment, or returns can quickly erode margins and undermine customer experience,” Mr Jordaan said.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26′, Panya 51′)
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2′)
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
The President’s Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
West Indies: 154
Race card for Super Saturday
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25′, Lacazette 55′, Ramsey 79′, Aubameyang 83′
Fulham 1
Kamara 69′
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Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year’s Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week’s field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20match%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2020%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%2016%20round%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%203%20to%206%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%209%20and%2010%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2013%20and%2014%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble – names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight Championship AJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Groom and Two Brides
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Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
First Person
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