Last week Global Village announced it was extending the current season to May 5 – much to the delight of tourists and residents looking to take last-minute trips to the venue before it shuts for summer.
The long-established family attraction was originally due to close on April 28. In the weeks running up to this date, heavy rains struck the UAE, forcing Global Village to cancel some of its major shows, including what would have been its final concert featuring Swedish pop star Zara Larsson.
However, the institute is promising a fun, action-packed week for everyone who makes it down before it closes.
Social media talks and DJ sets
While Larsson's performance has been completely shelved, the venue has announced new events featuring other artists in the coming days. First on the schedule is a talk and meet-and-greet with some of today's biggest Arab social media personalities – Ghaith Marwan, Sara Alwa, Islam Afro and Raghda. The talk will take place on May 1.
Ending the season with an electrifying set will be DJ Dany Neville, who'll take to the main stage on May 5.
Headline events aside, the theme park still has a daily programme of cultural shows within individual country pavilions, from India to Lebanon. America's Got Talent contestants Urban Crew, who are frequent Global Village performers, are also in the line-up, as well as comedic act Clowns to the Rescue.
Visit season debuts and all-time classics
Global Village is known to be an all-encompassing entertainment venue for the family, with many attractions and experiences designed for all ages.
The carnaval, for example, has more than 195 rides and games to check out. Horror lovers can enter House of Fear while those who fancy themselves as great marksmen can drop by the shooting zone. Children can spend some time at Diggers Lab, while family and friends are welcome to try the mini golf attraction.
Mini World, meanwhile, is the perfect spot for Instagram-worthy snaps. Debuting this season, it houses 25 miniature global landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the Colosseum in Rome. It also features a range of thrill-inducing activities in the Neon Galaxy Challenge Zone, such as wall climbing zones and obstacle courses.
Another main feature at the venue this season is the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! “Odditorium” which is home to wacky exhibitions, optical illusions and other interactive zones. There's a mirror maze, a 4D moving theatre and an immersive virtual reality adventure for the little ones. Since its Global Village debut in 2019, the space has added new exhibits year by year, keeping the experience fresh for visitors.
Head to the markets for worldwide cuisine and trinkets
Global Village attracts different kinds of visitors. There are those looking for family-friendly fun and adventure, while others sign up for the food and the proverbial retail therapy.
Firstly, the Dubai venue is a veritable rabbit hole of endless food outlets. This season, nearly 300 cafes, stalls and restaurants are on-site – a mixed bag of old and new vendors whipping up sweet and savoury dishes and desserts.
The Floating Market and Railway Market are abundant with Asian delights, from Korean street food Tteokbokki to Thai dessert mango sticky rice. There are Middle Eastern favourites, American classics and other cuisine staples for the intrepid foodies who visit Global Village with dining as the main motivation. If you want some help kick-starting the last-minute food trip to the venue, here's our guide.
Retail is also another major attraction with 3,500 outlets peppered across the vast site, selling everything from home decor to fashion pieces and other memorabilia. The 27 pavilions are also a treasure trove of such items, including carpets from the Morocco pavilion to a range of spices at the India pavilion.
Global Village is open from 4pm until midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and until 1am from Thursday to Saturday. More information is available at www.globalvillage.ae
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Celta Vigo v Villarreal (midnight kick-off UAE)
Saturday Sevilla v Real Sociedad (4pm), Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao (7.15pm), Granada v Barcelona (9.30pm), Osasuna v Real Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Levante v Eibar (4pm), Cadiz v Alaves (7.15pm), Elche v Getafe (9.30pm), Real Valladolid v Valencia (midnight)
Monday Huesca v Real Betis (midnight)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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.
