Dubai: More than five million visitors visited Global Village during its 18th season — its longest by far with 190 days.
Global Village closed its gates on Saturday after operating its longest season since 1997, taking advantage of the Eid holidays in October and the school holiday season in March and April. It was originally scheduled to close in March but was extended by 42 days — the longest extension so far — due to popular demand.
Announcing details of its 19th season, Ahmad Hussain, COO of Global Village, said it will open on November 6 in the next season and run until April 11 next year.
“Our dates for the 19th edition of Global Village allow us to run more closely to the peak tourist season in Dubai and will ensure our visitors can benefit from cooler weather and help strengthen the opportunity for more international visitors to find out what we can offer,” Hussain said.
“Every year we are committed to ensuring the highest levels of quality and looking to see if there are areas to make the visitor experience better, which is why we have commissioned an independent customer feedback survey to further enhance our services,” he added.
More than 12,000 entertainment and street shows were performed at Global Village this year as an added attraction for visitors. The largest attractions were Lords of Lightning, All Star Dunkers, the Chinese Unicyclists, the Vander Skywheel, the Amazing Trial Motorcycle Show, Fairy Tales on Ice, and the Adelaide Fireshow.
Some 2,000 unique performers brought smiles to visitors’ faces while 60 firework displays provided additional entertainment throughout the duration of the season. The village also hosted 10 concerts by 15 artists.
The family theme of Global Village was evident with the number of children’s shows during the course of the season. The Orbis and Level Up performers delivered 351 shows and the Moshi Monsters performed 90 shows for their young fans.
National Day celebrations were also held at Global Village, with the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Village providing information on the UAE and staging performances of traditional dances such as Yolah and Liwa daily during the celebrations.
Global Village this year featured 3,000 exhibitors across 30 pavilions, with Italy as its newest exhibitor. More than 10,000 staff of different nationalities also helped to make its longest season a success.
