Dubai: The 26th season of Global Village, the highly popular family destination for culture, shopping and entertainment, opened to visitors today.
This year, the village will showcase 26 pavilions, with Iraq being the latest addition.
More than 80 different cultures will be showcased at the venue this time. Participating countries include Africa, Americas, China, Egypt, Europe, Russia, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen and Afghanistan, besides the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait The Al Sana’a and Khalifa Foundation pavilions are also returning with local entrepreneurs, who will be taking advantage of the Global Village platform to grow their businesses and allow Global Village guests to be amongst the first to discover new product offerings.
For the record, every season, a number of artisans, entrepreneurs and artists from all across the world arrive at Global Village in Dubai to offer unique experiences to the visitors.
New features
The village has a host of new features this year.
More seating areas have been introduced in select areas to improve guest comfort, even as walkways have been modified to avoid bottlenecks on busier days. A smooth flow of traffic will also be ensured between popular outlets and pavilions.
Muhannad Ishaq, Senior Manager – Guest Relations at Global Village, said: “We listen to our guests and improve the experience every season based both on guest feedback and data that we gather concerning guest flow or observation. It’s very important that we constantly question ourselves so we can continually surpass guest expectations. As part of this season’s infrastructure upgrades, we have introduced more seating areas, adjusted some of the paths to improve guest movement, improved our main stage experience and much more. We will continue to strive to make every visit as enjoyable and comfortable as possible, and satisfy our guests’ growing appetites for wonderful entertainment and family fun.”
Exciting experiences come alive in new ways with key developments in the vast outdoor space. The seating area around the Main Stage has been expanded to accommodate a greater number of guests, and enhancements are underway to improve the Audio Visual quality. The digital experience at the Main Stage will bring shows to a whole new level – enhancing the atmosphere of the many spectacles held at the venue.
The Kids’ Theatre Stage is also adding new screens with state-of-the-art Audio/Video setup, and a new seating area for children is being developed near the Carnaval for the little guests and their families.
A new and iconic Instagram-able structure besides Arabian Square will be unveiled at the beginning of Season 26. This structure will be placed on a pedestrian roundabout which will both help traffic flow and provide more seating. A new corridor now connects Happiness Street with the newly named Fireworks Avenue. The avenue leading to Carnaval will also be home to a new fountain feature with increased seating capacity for guests wanting to enjoy the new street food offerings in this area.
The bridge that connects India and Africa pavilions will have a new theme this season inspired by Budapest’s famous ‘Margaret Bridge’ with a unique coffee shop overlooking the lake to give guests a chance to rest while enjoying wonderful views of the park and lake.
Celebration Walk, home to events throughout the season, is also getting an upgrade with fresh lighting and flooring. The highly-popular Fiesta Street has introduced more street food kiosks this season to the certain delight of the increasing number of “foodies” who frequent Global Village.
Street entertainment is back this season too as are the “Dotto trains” that bring guests to and from the parking zones.
International shows
The village has also announced two electrifying international shows as part of a jam-packed entertainment calendar in Season 26. From the end of this month and throughout November, there will be some great music on offer too.
Shaun Cornell, director of Entertainment, Global Village, said: “We are so excited to welcome AAINJAA and Swing Latino to Global Village this season. We’re thrilled to be able to provide this level of entertainment in Season 26. Latin music is filled with energy and passion, which is exactly what we wanted to bring to the line-up this season. Music and dance are central components of culture and a key part of the journey of discovery that Global Village brings to its guests.”
The AAINJAA percussion group will perform from October 29 to November 25, 2021.
The floating market at the village gets more interesting with the fire fountain show. Guests will be able to taste the delights of Asia while enjoying the show. An all-new ‘Harbour Force’ Stunt Show has also been added to the itinerary. In addition, the Peter Rabbit Adventure Zone is making its way to the park this season.
Visitors can download the Global Village app, search for different types of products and get easy directions to the right shops through the award-winning navigation functionality, making shopping an even easier experience this season.
