The Global Village at Dubailand throws open its doors to teaming visitors

The members of the public enjoyed every bit of the opening Carnival with performers from all over the world parading to the delight of the visitors. The VIP gathering at the Amphitheatre of the new facility too had a great time with the history of the 10-year old all-endearing festival unfolding in front of them. Spread across an area of 17.2 million sq.ft. in Dubailand project, the Global Village which is the first among the 10 major destinations of DSF 2005 featuring pavilions from 46 different countries, 54 restaurants and over 75 kiosks for companies from all the world, swept the visitors off their feet with its impressive facades and overall ambience.

Once in the new Global Village, visitors can look forward to some spectacular pavilions because every country has made sure that its pavilion is as beautiful as possible and provides a true glimpse of its cultural, social and artistic heritage, architecture and environment. "We are proud to have been associated with this event from its inception and have seen it grow from a small idea to the biggest Global Village in the world, admired and imitated by others. This year the Indian pavilion depicts the elegant Mysore Palace with a façade based on the Hampi Museum, the biggest museum in the world. A three-hour daily programme features performers and students who are showcasing different aspects of the rich and varied Indian culture," said Sunil Bhatia, organiser of the Indian pavilion adding, "We had a record number of visitors on the opening day as the pavilion saw teaming crowds walk in till late in the night," he said.

Yassin Al Hadar, organiser of the Syrian pavilion, the oldest among the Gulf participants, informed that his country's pavilion has won the best pavilion award four times since 2000. "The competition is the key incentive for us to be creative every year. This year, the visitors will be surprised to see the breathtaking replica of the Omayyad Mosque complete with exquisite details of the latticed windows and carved doors and stained glass decorations. Inside we will create an ambience of a traditional Damascus courtyard house and ancient souqs with a religious folkloric band providing live entertainment," he outlined.

Germany, that is participating for the second time this year, focuses on introducing its rich classical music tradition. Also on show are the many products that highlight the industrial progress of the country. "We are featuring German products that are not available in the local market, thus introducing our products to a huge multicultural audience," said Christine Acro, the organiser.

Whether it is culture, art, shopping, games, entertainment, raffles, good food or just the buzz of interacting with people from all over the world - there is something for everyone at the Global Village - Dubai's very own celebration of the diversity and similarity among peoples of the world. Among the special features incorporated into the new site is a 6,000 capacity amphitheatre and a 4,000sq.mt man-made lake where musical fountain shows will take place every evening. Six entrances and exits and a 15,000 capacity car park ensure easy flow of traffic. Special families only and ladies only days every week will be chalked out in the week. And the icing on the cake is that unlike previous festivals, this year the Global Village will be open up to March 31, long after DSF 2005 closes on February 12.

After carefully studying the needs and demands of visitors, particularly families, this year the Global Village has come up with a new identity, a new logo, a dedicated website (www.globalvillage.ae) and a new purpose built location. However, the cultural and social objectives remain the same. The best international standards in conceptualisation, construction and implementation are followed to provide every member of the family a rich variety of products, games, cuisines and entertainment programmes.

The main attractions at the Global Village are the beautifully decorated pavilions of various countries where visitors can buy traditional handicrafts, food items and other goods manufactured in the respective countries. Adding to the colourful, festive carnival-like atmosphere are demonstrations by artisans and performances by folk singers and dancers from these countries. Fifteen countries are participating for the first time this year. They include the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Greece, Qatar, Nigeria, Japan, Cambodia, Poland, Nepal, Kyrgyz Republic, and after a long absence Iraq.

The Dubai Shopping Festival 2005 runs between January 12 and February 12, 2005 but the Global Village is on until March 31, 2005.