Global Village bids farewell to Season 25 and reflects on Silver Jubilee anniversary success

Global Village, the UAE and wider region's leading multicultural family destination for culture, shopping, and entertainment, has concluded Season 25 of its illustrious legacy and looks back on a period that has seen the park make valuable economic contributions while solidifying new travel and tourism industry standards. The Silver Jubilee Season, which concluded on Sunday, May 2nd, served not only as a 190-day celebration to mark Global Village's 25th anniversary, but also a platform to underline Dubai’s ‘open for business’ message. Since the October 25th launch, guests new and old have been welcomed to a world of wonder, enjoying this world-class leisure destination under new normal conditions. Global Village brought together traditional mainstays, new attractions, innovative guest experiences, and unique concepts with a customer-centric approach. With the involvement of no fewer than 5,000 business partners, the park achieved record-breaking accomplishments that helped to redefine cultural experiences and reinvigorate the local economy. 

Bader Anwahi, CEO, Global Village, said: "For the Global Village family, Season 25 will always be remembered as a major milestone in our history. Our teams overcame challenges, demonstrating resilience and strategic leadership to reimagine what was possible to support Dubai and the UAE with key economic contributions. We have harnessed creativity and diversity in order to deliver authentic experiences, inspiring audiences at home and abroad with support from our loyal fanbase and partnership ecosystem. Regional and international investors placed their trust in our country and worked alongside the Global Village team so we could achieve success together. We are proud of our role in supporting the economy during this difficult period and the assistance we were able to lend our peers internationally. On a personal level I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to the remarkable success of Season 25, and we are excited about the coming months as we move forward with our preparations for Season 26."

Driven by an unwavering vision to deliver the very best experience to its guests, Global Village approached Season 25 in a radically different way, weaving agility, HSE and digital intelligence into the heart of operations. Through close consultation and alignment with leading international and local authorities, Global Village thrived under new normal conditions. To ensure guest comfort, well-being, and peace of mind, a raft of safety measures were creatively implemented to ensure guest wellbeing coupled with a great experience. Partnerships such as SHIELDme, a leading producer and supplier of sanitisation products and services, were key to ensure guests could focus on enjoying the outdoor cultural experiences with peace of mind. 

This collective effort was recognised at the prestigious Innovation in Construction & FM awards 2020 as Global Village won the ‘HSE Initiative of the Year’ award. In addition, Global Village claimed several other awards during Season 25, including the ‘Commitment to Sustainability’ title at the Middle East Cleaning, Hygiene, and Facilities Awards and the 2020 Traveler’s Choice Award from Trip Advisor having ranked in the top 10 per cent of worldwide attractions. Global Village hosted industry leaders from IAAPA, the British Safety Council and Ripley Entertainment, who covered off international best practice in going the extra mile to ensure visitor safety across operations while UAE-based experts from Dubai Municipality and Dubai Holding also joined the “Increased Safety, More Fun!” webinar to share their best health and safety practices. Global Village also retained the coveted Sword of Honour from the British Safety Council, and remain the only leisure destination to have been awarded this accolade. 

Season 25 began spectacularly with Global Village rocking the world with the biggest virtual rock concert in history as performers from 80 countries joined Rockin’1000, the largest rock band on earth, for the opening gig. In partnership with Arabian Radio Network (ARN), Emirates and Jumeirah the show was streamed live on Global Village’s YouTube and captured the imagination of millions worldwide. Now United, the international pop phenomenon, also made a surprise live appearance at the event. 

As a melting pot of cultures, Global Village once again highlighted the importance of diversity and social inclusion. Season 25 saw 78 cultures represented in 26 pavilions across the park. Over 300 F&B outlets and no fewer than 3,500 retail outlets formed the region's largest street food and shopping collective, demonstrating the resilience of the local economy. At the same time, Carnaval delighted guests with thrills and spills for all ages. More than 160 rides, skill games, and arcade attractions provided endless hours of enjoyment, while the world-famous Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum attraction's six astonishing galleries were home to more than 300 of the most remarkable collection of natural, scientific, artistic, and human oddities, artefacts, and exhibits. 

In line with its digital transformation aspirations, this season also saw Global Village take customer convenience to the next level with its all-new Global Village mobile app, which scooped three innovation accolades at the Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards. The park partnered with MobiiWorld to design the most accurate GPS-powered venue navigation system in today's market, introduce e-commerce functionalities for ticket purchase, parking payment as well as seamless purchase and top-up of Wonder Pass points. Global Village also partnered with emaratech, a leading Emirati tech company, to introduce 'GV Pay’, the next-generation e-wallet launched to give guests the option of contactless and cashless payment across the Park.  Global Village also employed artificial intelligence in order to protect guests and staff, including an autonomous security robot and AI enabled cameras. 

Global Village also broke 25 Guinness World Records™ in honour of the Silver Jubilee anniversary. Throughout the season, attempts were made with support from guests and partners, providing entertainment and attracting attention from across the UAE and around the globe. A total of 70 fireworks displays lit up the skies in Season 25 and the stunt show production featuring high-speed police car chases, fire-fights, precision driving, back-flipping bikes, explosions, and high falls was performed 484 times. Various festivals and occasions were also celebrated at Global Village, including Diwali, Wonder of Winter, the UAE’s mission to Mars, Kids Fest, Ice Cream Fest, Easter, and Ramadan. Meanwhile, collaborations with key partners provided further value and excitement. The partnership with Jumeirah Beach Hotel allowed guests staying at the resort to visit the park and gain exclusive privileges that boosted their holiday experience, while the Etihad Baggage Claim Challenge alongside Etihad Airways rewarded one lucky winner with a million guest miles, AED 25,000 spending money and a AED 25,000 Global Village shopping spree. Zahrat Al Khaleej did a major fashion shoot using clothes and accessories available within the Park which elevated perception of Global Village as a fashion shopping destination. 

“We started our season with a brand new anthem, performed by International Superstars, Red One and Ahlam” said Anwahi. “The signature song speaks to what can be accomplished when peoples of the world come together in harmony and unison. I believe that the strength of Global Village and the strength of our nation lies in diversity and that when we work together with creativity and passion, there is nothing we cannot achieve.” 

Global Village will return with Season 26 in October to continue delighting guests, supporting businesses and investors, and doing its part to create economic opportunity in the UAE. More announcements and updates regarding next season will follow in due course.