Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Festival City to jointly organise Global Village 2004

Global Village 2004, which will open its doors for DSF visitors from 15th January to 15th February 2004, will feature 38 country pavilions, five of which are first time participants.

Ibrahim Abdul Rahim, Global Village Director, Dubai Shopping Festival said, "The Global Village is one of the most important venues for showcasing the One World, One Family, One Festival theme of DSF, as it brings together diverse cultures and societies to one location. Several new facilities will be provided at the Global Village, right from the beginning of the event on 15th January. Dubai Festival City will bring with it several years of experience in hosting a world-class event that has now become an attractive tourism destination in its own right."

"We have created new plans for the infrastructure surrounding this attraction. We have added new entrances, lanes and walkways to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and pedestrians. We have also created new services and facilities within the Global Village, and have modified the floor plan slightly from previous years. Pavilions have been allocated to the 38 countries, and they can begin setting up their zones by the 15th of November", he added.

Alan Gordon, General Manager, Special Projects, Dubai Festival City, said, "We are very proud to be working closely with the Government of Dubai on the Global Village project. This is definitely a partnership approach that will see the creation of a product that offers fun and entertainment in a cultural melting pot of 38 different countries. We look forward to the great opportunities and excitement that this initiative represents."

The Global Village, managed by DSF and built by Al Futtaim Group, developers of Dubai Festival City (DFC), was one of the biggest attractions of Dubai Shopping Festival 2003 attracting around 3 million visitors.