The new site where the Global Village 2005 will be located on Emirates Road when it moves to a 17.4 million square foot facility at Dubailand. ©Gulf News
The Global Village, the main attraction of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), will run for three and a half months when it moves to a 17.4 million square feet facility near Emirates Road next year, which is to become a permanent feature at the Dh18 billion Dubailand project, announced last year by General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, said a senior Dubai government official.

Global Village, which is going to be packaged separately under its new logo, will evenutally become an independent entity of the DSF, said Ibrahim Abdul Rahim, Global Village director, who is most likely to assume the role of its CEO once the management is restructured later.

It will also be the second project, following the construction of the Autodrome, to have been set up at Dubailand - Dubai's ultimate leisure, sports, fun and entertainment venue.

"Next year's Global Village will continue for three-and-a-half months, though the DSF will run for one month," said Abdul Rahim.

"It will eventually become a year-round destination by itself in the coming years. We are talking to our partners - various pavilion organisers - to develop the concept and see how they can participate in it.

"The government has large plans for the Global Village, which has, so far, been the most successful brand under the DSF. Dubai Municipality has already developed the land for the Global Village project and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has supplied the power."

According to earlier reports, Dubai Municipality has spent Dh50 million on developing the site, four times larger than its present location. DEWA has set up substations to supply 12MVA power.

This year, 38 national pavilions, 50 restaurants, 40 kiosks and 120 games and rides have been put together at the Village, in which over 5,000 exhibitors are showcasing their wares.