Iraq to join Global Village season 26 in October

As Global Village prepares to open, organisers of the popular family attraction have announced that there will be 26 pavilions for the 26th season.

These will represent 80 global cultures with a notable new addition – the Iraq Pavilion, which organisers say will allow "guests to enjoy some of the rich culture this beautiful country has to offer".

Sticking to a numerical theme, Global Village is set to open its doors on October 26.

The cultural destination will return with many of the culinary, shopping and entertainment attractions visitors will be familiar with. Every year, the park attracts millions of visitors – in the 2019 to 2021 season, which was cut short owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, it attracted more than seven million guests, according to Global Village chief executive Bader Anwahi.

This year, the 26 pavilions will represent: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Africa, the Americas, China, Egypt, Europe, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen and Russia.

Al Sana'a pavilion will also return, along with the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, both of which give opportunities to Emirati entrepreneurs to sell produce.

Guests are encouraged to download the Global Village app to help them navigate the various pavilions, attractions and food stalls.

Global Village will open on Tuesday, October 26, and will operate for 167 days, until Sunday, April 10.

Last season, the event celebrated its silver jubilee by breaking 25 Guinness World Records.

Some of the records broken included: the longest line of mandi and largest display of mandi (after which it donated 4,880 mandi meals to charity); the largest mosaic, which read "100,000,000 meals" and used 2,500 lanterns; the most nationalities on a theme park ride; the largest pin badge word, celebrating International Happiness Day; and the world's largest ticket.

It celebrated its silver jubilee season finale by teaming up with Skydive Dubai to break the Guinness World Record for highest altitude firework display, with 20 skydivers jumping from a height of more than 4,900 metres, lighting up the skies with 78 fireworks – a representation of the 78 cultures that were present during Global Village's 25th season.



PUKmedia / The National News