Around the world in 80 minutes

Emirates Road is an uninteresting freeway that slices through the dusty nothingness that surrounds Dubai — a heavy road peppered with a multitude of charging cars, wildly racing between Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Riding down the highway by day, it's a dull journey. By night, it's a dull journey without the sunshine. Unless the trip is made between November and March that is. For then part of the tepid landscape spanning Dubai and Sharjah is interrupted by coloured lights that melt into the darkening twilight. Global Village is alive.

For more than 15 years, Global Village has been welcoming visitors looking for outdoor fun, cultural enrichment, authentic foods and exotic arts and crafts. For those pumped up with fizzy cold drinks and candy, it is a gymkhana full of rides adorned with flashing neon lights. For foodies, it is a festival of foreign flavours. For shoppers, it is a chance to acquire wonderfully exotic items from national pavilions. But for those who've grown up with Dubai, Global Village is more than a lunar park with international cuisines and exotic merchandise.

A happy place

Global Village summons happy feelings, says 25-year-old Nadine Bardawil, an expatriate of Egyptian origin. "I was born in the UAE and when Global Village launched, I was just a kid. Back then, Dubai was a lot smaller and places to shop were limited, so the impact of Global Village was huge. It took place by Dubai Creek then and the main attractions were on Al Riqqa Street. I remember all the sweets to eat, the rides, all the games and the parade — oh, the beautiful costumes and music! I remember that adrenaline rush — the excitement and sheer happiness. It was like waking up and remembering it's your birthday because there are gifts on your bed and your friends are coming for a party. I'm happy now just thinking about it."

Hoping for a slice of that happiness, I decided to pay Global Village a visit. Excitement, tasty eats and fun rides, that's all still there, but the event has gone through some major changes, explains 35-year-old Ayman Haddad, an expatriate with an American-Palestinian background. Before finding its permanent home on Emirates Road in 2005, it was held at Oud Metha and then Dubai Festival City. "When it began in 1996, Global Village had about 18 country pavilions, but, by comparison to today, these were more like small kiosks," Haddad remembers. Since then, Global Village has grown in size and popularity. This year's instalment is supported by around 45 countries and boasts 30 large national pavilions comprised of 120 stalls.

The number of visitors passing through has soared to significantly as well. At its inception, the event received 500,000 revellers. Last year, this number swelled to 4.5 million. What will the region's largest outdoor entertainment venue yield this year? Well, so far things look promising. The first month saw 1.25 million people, according to statistics provided by Global Village, and many taking part say it's the best organised edition yet.

While popularity may still be on the rise, there may be a worrying trend, though. According to retailers, this year's visitors have short arms and deep pockets. People are just not spending, they say.

Great prices

Walking through the pavilions, I heard this statement a lot. Sympathies aside, the situation seemed to offer great prices. I picked up beautiful gemstone pendants for just Dh25 at the Yemeni pavilion. I also got antique silver earrings for a steal. I wasn't planning on shopping but with such bargains, how could I not?

Over in the Vietnamese pavilion, the lament was no different. "I'll give you a good price; there has been very little business," cried one shopkeeper. With each step I took away from her stall, the price fell. "OK, take it for Dh40. How about Dh35? OK, OK, take it for Dh30!"

The Egyptians sang the same song, so did the shopkeepers in the Pakistan pavilion. In fact, seemingly all the shopkeepers were glum. People are not spending, they chanted.

Suddenly, the melancholic tune began to sound more upbeat, except it wasn't a shopkeeper with positive news. Rhythmic drumming had started and from a distant rumble it was getting louder and more festive. Sounds like home, I thought, and off I went to the Africa pavilion.

Adding to the uniqueness of the place, you get to watch ethnic dancing and folk shows, and even listen to story telling. Seeing people wearing traditional outfits is an exceptional opportunity. I'm not sure if in 2012, the norm in Istanbul is to have coffee served by young men sporting full traditional Turkish garb, fez, çarık and all. Having the man nimbly bend over to pour the piping hot drink out of a huge decorative copper pot strapped to his back certainly made the coffee more special. The dancer at the Africa pavilion was amazing, too. With innate talent, she effortlessly used her gyrating dance moves to lift and lower the large ring of fire surrounding her. Spinning around her ankles, and then up to her waist, she moved the flaming hula hoop up around her neck without ever using her hands. It is true: Africans can dance!

After a sensory overload, I began to slow down. I thought about the long haul back to my car. The parking lot at Global Village accommodates more than 15,000 vehicles. It also has dedicated areas for public transport, private buses and Global Village shuttle vehicles. Getting to your wheels is definitely not a short saunter across the lot. For those too tuckered out to get back on foot, there are taxis eager to carry you to your car. I decided to brave the journey and leg it. It's definitely advised to make a mental note of where you've parked and which gate you entered — there are six of them.

Making my way out, my mind focused on how my hands ached as they clutched all the bags. The packets straining my fingers got me thinking about all the things I'd bought. As I recounted the treasures I'd found, I suddenly recalled the retailers' sad song. "People are just not spending..." I may have been heavy on my feet late that night, but I was certainly Dh1,000 lighter — and this was even though I'd not planned on spending at all. Could I be the only one to have parted with all those dirhams?

Based on the experience of Vikas Malhotra, a Dubai veteran from India who has lived here for the last 25 years, I was unlikely the only spender. "The shopkeepers often claim that business is slow," he says. "But they'll also tell you that some months are busier than others. At slower times, they offer very enticing prices, and doing this usually gets the ‘browsers' to spend. It worked with you and it works with others, too."

So although I parted with my money, I had lots of things to be pleased about. Whether it is for food, shopping or entertainment, go visit Global Village and be happy! n

One of the new attractions in Global Village is the dancing fountain. Six shows take place daily at the Global Village lake. The Wheels of Danger Show, in its first instalment ever, is being presented three times a day till January 7, so be prepared for some extreme motorbike stunts.

Spain, Tunisia and Kyrgyzstan are newcomers to the event, pushing the number of participating countries to 45 and national pavilions to 30.

Global Village is open till March 3, Saturday to Wednesday between 4pm and 12am; and Thursday and Friday, from 4pm to 1am. Mondays are family days. Entrance fee is Dh10.

Timings

For the longest duration ever, spanning 124 days, Global Village runs through to March 3, Saturday to Wednesday between 4pm and 12am; and Thursday and Friday, from 4pm to 1am. Mondays are family days. Entrance is Dh10.