Global Village Celebrates Its Most Successful Season Ever; New 23rd Season To Launch On 30 October 2018

Under the patronage and attendance of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and President of the National Olympic Committee, Global Village, the region’s first multicultural festival park and family destination for culture, shopping and entertainment hosted an awards ceremony to honour its partners, government authorities and members of the media who contributed to the success of its record-breaking, biggest-ever 22^nd season, which concluded on 7 April 2018.

Addressing the audience at the awards ceremony, Bader Anwahi, Chief Executive Officer of Global Village, said: “We are delighted with the success of the 22^nd season, which is a result of all the efforts from our strategic partners from the government authorities, media agencies and our partners from the investors. We are proud of what we’ve collectively achieved in establishing Global Village as a pioneering UAE brand and are excited to launch a new season in our drive to compete on a global level to be among the best entertainment and family destinations in the world, in line with the nation’s vision and leadership objectives.”

The ceremony started with a speech from Bader Anwahi, where he acknowledged and thanked all the individuals and teams involved in the success of the 22^nd season. He also used the opportunity to announce the dates of the upcoming 23^rd season which will commence on 30 October 2018 and continue for 159 days until 6 April 2019.

The ceremony began with a showcase of the highlights of the 22^nd season, followed by honouring key government authorities which included; Dubai Police, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, Directorate General of Civil Defence, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, Dubai Municipality, Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Group Security, Roads and Transport Authority, Department of Economic Development, Security Industry Regulatory Agency, Dubai Media Incorporated, Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center, Dubai SME, Al Ameen Service, Ministry of Community Development, Arabian Radio Network, Dubai Festivals and Retails Establishment, Hamdan Sports Complex, and Prime Healthcare Group.

Acknowledging the UAE government authorities’ invaluable support, Bader Anwahi said, “Our strategic partnership with various government departments is one of the most important factors of success in all our seasons. Having their constant support helps us to ensure a safe and comfortable guest experience.”

During the ceremony, Bader Anwahi also thanked the members of the press for their support throughout the 22nd season.  “We thank all reporters, photographers and media organizations who have contributed and continue to contribute to bringing Global Village events to the public,” he said.  “The media award for the 22nd season had many creative entries and they all played a crucial role in showcasing Global Village and the various activities it hosted for 158 days. “

Ceremony had the ‘Best Media Coverage in English’ award presented to the Khaleej Times team and the ‘Best Article in English’ award to Jumana Khamis from Gulf News. The ‘Best Asian Media Coverage’ went to Jaimon George from Malayalam Manorama, while K.M Abbas from Siraj Daily won the ‘Best Article in Asian’ award.  The ‘Best Broadcast coverage’ went to MCA Naser from Media One TV and Neeraj Murali from Khaleej Times won the ‘Best Social Media Coverage’.   

From the Arabic media, Shireen Farouq from Al Bayan newspaper won the ‘Best Media Coverage in Arabic’, while Ahmad Al Najjar from Al Ittihad won the ‘Best Article in Arabic’ and Emad Alaa Eldin from Al Bayan won the ‘Best Photo Coverage’.

Maha Adel from Al Khaleej was awarded the ‘Global Village Award for Journalistic Excellence’ and Mohammed Abdul Maqsoud from Emarat Al Youm won the ‘Global Village Award for Creative Journalism’ while Mostafa Abdul Azim was awarded ‘Global Village Award for Journalistic Innovation’.

Themed ‘Come Experience the World,’ Season 22 saw financial transactions worth AED 2.9 billion and hosted more than 10,000 exhibitors from more than 75 countries through the 27 pavilions with distinctive facades, showcasing the world’s most beautiful monuments and civilizations.

Among the most notable achievements of this season was the YouGov ‘Brand Index Buzz Rankings’, which ranked Global Village as the number one brand in the Leisure and Entertainment category in the UAE.

The ceremony concluded by recognizing and honouring Global Village’s partners in success who introduced innovative ideas and showcased their unique culture, food, and heritage across their pavilion. The Africa pavilion was awarded the ‘Best Pavilion Award’ for its unique cultural and entertainment experiences that attracted millions of guests. The Iran Pavilion won the award for the ‘Best Pavilion Façade’ for showcasing the nation’s rich cultural heritage. The Morocco Pavilion won ‘Best Handicrafts’ Award while the Indian Pavilion won the ‘Best Cultural Show’ award.

Global Village will open its 23rd Season from 30 October 2018 – 6 April 2019, and will welcome families to yet another 158 days of fun and entertainment. For 2018 – 2019 sponsorship and investment opportunities, please visit www.globalvillage.ae.