900 kids lost... and found at the Global Village

Dubai: Global Village officials have urged parents to keep a close eye on their children after 900 of them were lost temporarily at the Dubai fair.

They were reunited following efforts by dedicated teams on the outlook for such cases.

The figure reflects the total number of incidents since the opening of the fair this season in November.

Millions of visitors throng the shopping and entertainment attraction every season.

Despite guidelines, more than 30 children continue to be lost and found over weekends, with incidents falling to around 10 children on work days, according to a Global Village (GV) statement to XPRESS. "Never leave your kids unattended. Always make sure your kids wear the wristbands with clear mobile numbers all the time. Respect the safety rules and regulations in all areas, and especially in the fun fair zone," the statement added.

The ages of lost children range from one to 13 year olds though most cases are of four-year-olds. There is also a public address (PA) speakerphone system in place to guide parents to a meeting point to collect lost children — in Al Ameen room near Gate 2.  

Giant security ring

The giant carnival is combed by teams made up of "guest management" officials working with security teams, Global Village management, Dubai Police, and the PA System, the statement said. 

"When a child is separated, the teams will try and look for his parents in the surrounding area. If not found, they will call parents to meet them in Al Ameen room that is prepared to host the child with a friendly animated environment. 

"Then the parents can come, present their ID and take the child. In case the child doesn't have a wristband — or the number was not available — we will use the public announcement system to call for the parents by either the name of the child or a description if they are not able to speak," the statement said.

The fair has set a new record with two million people visiting in the last two months.