Dubai: Global Village, the region’s largest outdoor family destination and theme park, is even bigger this year in time for its opening on Thursday, officials said on Tuesday.
Global Village’s 19th season will open this Thursday and run for 157 days until April 11, 2015. It has 70 participating countries from five continents compared with the 65 countries listed last year.
“Global Village in terms of size is around 2.7 million square feet. And this year we have increased it by 330,000 square feet in terms of size,” Ahmad Hussain Bin Eisa, Global Village Chief Operating Officer, told Gulf News.
“We have more countries, for example, The Americas [Pavilion] is with us for the first time in years. We increased the number of kiosks. In terms of size, we have made it bigger; in terms of excitement, we have looked at it and made it more exciting,” he added.
The Americas Pavilion represents the two continents, North and South America, which carries with it up to seven countries like Canada, the US, Brazil, and Argentina, among others.
Seven new rides have been added on the Fantasy Island, including a new and bigger Ferris wheel at a height of 65 metres. Global Village stopped the use of the Ferris wheel for the second part of the 17th season and the whole 18th season after an Emirati visitor was killed in January last year.
The victim died after a metal bar from the Freij Ferris wheel accidentally fell on his head.
Edward Mellors, Director of the Mellors Group that is operating Fantasy Island, said the public has nothing to worry about as safety is their top priority.
“We’re a British company; we work with very stringent laws in the UK that we’re applying here. We’re used to working in a very high-profile environment and this is no different,” Mellors told Gulf News, adding that part of their service portfolio was the royal wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton in 2011.
“We have got my team installing the rides and a team of German TUV [functional safety] engineers crawling over everything as they do it and interrogating them. So it really is absolutely not a concern, no worries at all.”
He said several thrill rides have also been added such as the Sky Swing.
“It’s a high-octane adrenaline ride with three people where they can be taken to a height of 33 metres and they have to pull a parachute and the second they pull it they’re gonna freefall and basically swing out into the crowd and fly like a bird. None of it is in the UAE and I’m sure people will love it.”
Entrance to the theme park is Dh15. WiFi access is being provided for free across the park this year.
