Global Village reopens on Tuesday with an array of new attractions, shows and additional amenities that will make visiting the wildly popular family-friendly destination much easier.
Last season, it had a record 7.8 million guests visit during the six months it was operational, including an extended period, as it stayed open an extra four weeks until May 7.
This year marks its 27th season, with 27 pavilions representing more than 80 cultures from around the world.
Here's everything you need to know about Global Village's 2022 season.
When does Global Village reopen?
The attraction will reopen to the public on Tuesday at 6pm and run until April next year. A specific closing date has yet to be announced.
What pavilions and attractions will be there?
The pavilions, each themed according to a different nation or culture, are a star attraction at Global Village.
The pavilions confirmed for season 27 are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Afghanistan, Africa, Americas, China, Egypt, Europe, India, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen and Russia.
New for the 27th season are the Oman and Qatar pavilions.
Two pavilions, Al Sana'a and Khalifa Foundation, will also return, with UAE entrepreneurs showcasing their businesses.
A new concept, Road of Asia, will be a pedestrian street with 43 kiosks, offering food and products from countries not represented in the pavilions.
The 13 countries to be featured here include Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan and the Philippines.
There will also be a new haunted house, a Big Balloon experience and a Heroes Gallery, an exhibition inspired by superheroes and movie memorabilia.
What shows can visitors see during season 27?
Global Village has revealed a packed new season line-up, featuring more than 400 performers from around the world. This includes more than 200 performances each night.
Putting on the Glitz will bring jazz music to the theme park, while London Calling takes music-lovers through nostalgic songs from the 1960s and punk-rock trends to top tunes of today.
Clowns to the Rescue is a group of performers from Colombia, while Bank Heist is a slapstick comedy troupe.
Enter Loud House for a big Bollywood soap opera-style show. Skyline is a showcase of music, style, dance and light that will also transport fans to the heart of Bollywood come evening.
V.Unbeatable, a dance crew from Mumbai that won season two of America's Got Talent: The Champions in 2020, will perform on the Main Stage from January 4 for a month.
Filipino troupe Urban Crew, who competed on the latest season of America's Got Talent, will return to Global Village to showcase their acrobatic skills all season.
Another international ensemble back by popular demand is Colombian Aaijaa, a group of young percussionists setting the beat for the evenings.
Global Village favourites making a return include The Wonderers — Ozka, Waleef and Zoya, who bring a new production to the Kids Theatre called The Mystery of the Golden Rock.
Last year's new attraction, the Peter Rabbit Adventure Zone, will also return, and the Octonauts are back for another season.
Ben & Holly, and PJ Masks, will host their own shows, and there will be a sequel to Aqua Action, a water-based stunt show that will bring new fire effects, LED car scenes, high-powered street bikes and a big monster truck.
Amenities being introduced this season
A third entrance called Happiness Gate is being introduced to help stem traffic flow and ensure shorter walking distances from the car parks. It will also have valet parking.
Happiness Street has been extended, with a new layout giving guests plenty of room to discover more street food.
Cabanas will be available to book this year for groups of up to eight people. It allows people to book a base to return to throughout their visit and have a private butler on hand.
There will also be more information counters, revamped prayer rooms, more vending machines at entry points and extra lockers for guests.
A new range of branded merchandise and souvenirs to take home have also been created for this season.
How much do Global Village tickets cost?
Tickets purchased online are cheaper than those bought at the venue. For entry on Sunday to Thursday, tickets are Dh18 online and Dh20 at the gate. For all other days, it's Dh22.5 online and Dh25 at the gate.
Entry is free for children under the age of 3 and senior citizens aged 65 and above, as well as people of determination.
Tuesdays are reserved for ladies and families only, except for on public holidays.
What are opening hours?
Global Village is open from 4pm to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 4pm to 1am from Thursday to Saturday.
How to get there
Global Village is located on Exit 37 of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (311) in Dubailand. It is about a 20-minute drive from Dubai Marina, and a 25-minute drive from Downtown Dubai.
Ticket prices
Ticket prices start from Dh18 this season for tickets bought online, while they're Dh20 at the gate from Sunday to Thursday. On other days, it's Dh22.5 online and Dh25 at the gate.
New ticket options are being introduced for season 27. There's the Value ticket, valid from Sunday to Thursday, excluding public holidays, and the Any Day ticket gives guests the flexibility to attend on any day, including public holidays.
Entry is free for children under the age of 3 and senior citizens aged 65 and above, as well as people of determination.
Tuesdays are reserved for ladies and families only, except for on public holidays.
Tickets bought on the mobile app or website are discounted by 10 per cent.
Opening hours
Global Village is open from 4pm to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 4pm to 1am from Thursday to Saturday.
More information is available at globalvillage.ae
Scroll through the gallery below to see images of Global Village season 26
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
THE BIG MATCH
Arsenal v Manchester City,
Sunday, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm
