Dubai A colourful and vibrant fair buzzing with people welcomes you upon entering the Global Village. You can’t miss the music reverberating in the air. The mood is simply festive.
Kadak chai, samosa and ice cream sellers call out for customers, and with numerous kiosks dotting the Village, your shopping spree begins even before you step inside a pavilion.
We entered through Gate 4 and India pavilion was the first one in sight. A host of stalls was already in place and more were still being set up.
“It just started, almost all the stalls would be open in the coming few days,” said Nijash, who makes potraits for Dh50.
Hailing from Kerala, he comes every year especially for the Global Village where he expects a good number of clients.
In the India pavilion, that has been awarded many times, you will find a wide variety of stuff – most of it apparel – from Kashmiri shawls to juttis, embroidered tops, Rajasthani decorative items, all of it reflecting the diversity of the country’s culture.
Close to this is the Spanish pavilion. Though smaller than many other pavilions, it adds European flavour to the fair. A stall selling paella rice, traditional handmade jute espadrilles (shoes) and flamenco dresses catches your eye as you step inside.
The Eastern Europe pavilion, a new introduction to the Global Village, was yet to open when we visited on Tuesday evening.
Visitors this time will get much more of Europe to see, the organisers have promised. This year, the Global Village features 37 pavilions and more than 65 countries. The region’s largest entertainment and shopping theme park is also one with the longest duration – it will last 161 days, a figure that was on the lips of everyone we spoke to.
“We are here 161 days, you can come back anytime,” said Jacrine in the Africa pavilion, selling masks and a host of handcrafted items.
Africa, which is a must-see for many visitors, is one of the most colourful pavilions with numerous interesting handmade items from Uganda, Kenya and other countries.
Outside, on the stage, artists had started performing an African dance attracting many onlookers. Encouraged by the response, the artists also had a few kids on stage who they taught some dance steps.
This year also has an array of cultural shows with over 3,000 artists from all over the world showcasing their talent.
As we explored the Village, we saw a colourful fountain dance keeping many visitors entertained while several kids queued up for fun rides.
Traders from the 65 countries were all upbeat, expecting a heavy turnout this time. From the Jordanian pavilion with its cosmetics and fashion wear to pavilions of various Arab countries with their spices and stones, it would need a host of hours to visit all of them.
Hardly a week old and even though it was a weekday, the fair had a reasonable number of visitors.
The coming days are expected to get even busier with November 12 being ‘Family Day’ and shows like trapeze, Chinese circus and Lion dance set to open soon. The fair will be open until 3am during the Eid weekend.
