Global Village, Dubai!

Global Village is truly a place where the world comes together. It is a theme park concept wherein different countries come in and stage their pavilions for guests to showcase their art, crafts, culture, traditions, festivities and most importantly to have fun! It is a huge entertainment platform for guests worldwide guaranteeing a scintillating shopping experience! In 2010, 28 country pavilions and 4.5 million visitors made it to the Global Village.

It is increasingly becoming a shopper’s destination as the countries that come in bring in with them their skills and trade as well. There are small kiosks set up for every country that delights their customers with their range of fabric, garments, accessories, shoes, bags, head gears, furniture, jackets, food, drinks, spices, sweets and many more.

How to get there?

The Global Village is located on the Emirates Road. It is well connected by road. It is near the Arabian Ranches on Exit 37. The Global Village has a shuttle service and can be dropped off at the entrance from the parking area. From the Dubai International Airport, it is a 20 min drive and from Abu Dhabi, it is a 60 min drive. 

Direction Map

When to go there?
The Global Village commences on 
21^st October and ends on 31^st March. 

• It is open from  Saturday – Wednesday – 4 pm to 12 am;
• Thursday and Friday – 4 pm – 1 am;
• Monday is a Family Day

***It is best to go in the 2nd week of December since by then all the pavilions would have opened up and being vacation season, there will be more events and the village will be open for longer durations.

The entry is 10 AED and the gates open at 4 pm. Advisable to be there at 3:45 pm itself to avoid standing in long ticket queues. Wear a scarf or a cap when moving out at noon. When the sun goes down, it will be pleasantly cold. Advisable to carry a shawl or jacket during Dec-Jan-Feb.

What to do?

Pavilions

Each pavilion forms a distinct country experience for every guest. A lot of handicraft and merchandise is sold at these pavilions along with a display of their culture, entertainment and folklore. The pavilions of the following countries will showcase performances: Afghanistan, Africa, Bahrain, China, Egypt, Europe, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines,    Qatar, Spain, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE. 

*** The pavilions of South Africa, Egypt and Palestine which were on display in 2010 were the best as per my opinion.

Adult and Children Rides

It is a total family entertainment experience at Global village. For more information on the different rides and entertainment information, please click on the link http://www.globalvillage.ae/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31&Itemid=45&lang=en

Services
The services offered are phenomenal. Global Village makes an ideal visitor’s day memorable and hassle- free. They have stationed ATMs, money-exchange kiosks, information kioks, prayer rooms, washroom facilities, public address system to keep you informed about events taking place and also transport facilities from parking lots to the entrance during peak hours.

***Carry water bottles and wear comfortable shoes because the place is huge and you will be walking for hours

What to eat?

There are around 25 restaurants that cater to hungry shoppers and tired walkers J. The best being the fast food joints and the Arabic kebabs. The restaurants cater to all nationalities with a spread that can fill every single visitor’s belly and sprinkle the taste buds with loads of delicacies. The pavilions too are organized such that they lure every guest with their cultural dessert, sweet and snacks.

Have a great time!