Global Village, Entertainment and retail complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Global Village is a seasonal entertainment and shopping complex at Sheikh Zayed Exit 37 in Wadi Al Safa 4, Dubai. Its temporary pavilions, built from lightweight materials, represent countries such as China, Yemen and Bangladesh, and are arranged around squares with stages, rides and stalls selling goods and dishes from around the world.
Global Village began in January 1997 as a handful of kiosks beside Dubai Creek, opposite Dubai Municipality. It then moved to the Oud Metha area near Wafi City for five years before settling at Exit 37 of Sheikh Zayed Road in Wadi Al Safa 4, where it now draws about six million visitors a season. The 25th season ran 25 weeks from 25 October 2020 to 18 April 2021.
Each pavilion carries the name of its country and displays products that visitors can buy, taste and sometimes touch. In the evening hours, the paths between the buildings fill with families who share food from distant regions and follow performances.
The complex opens only during the cooler months between October and April, when evening temperatures are comfortable. Visitors with children find changing rooms and paths that are wide enough for strollers.
The pavilions are dismantled each year before October and rebuilt afterward, leaving the site empty outside the season. Some countries change their location or do not return, which means the layout shifts from one season to the next.
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