Dubai Shopping Festival Attraction on Par With Monthly Visitors To Hong Kong

Global Village, the international attraction of the Dubai Shopping Festival, has smashed attendance records for the first 17 days of the colourful shopping and entertainment extravaganza.

Mr Mohammed Rashid earlier this week became the 1.5 millionth visitor to the 2003 event. "The crowds have been amazing this year," said Alan Gordon, General Manager, Global Village. "To put 1.5 million into perspective, that's the total number of visitors to Hong Kong in August last year"

"Year-on-year, we are 25% up on visitors and taking into consideration some of the weather during the first two weeks of Global Village, that's quite an achievement."

Bin Hendi Enterprises presented Mr Mohammed Rashid, a UAE National with a set of Cerutti watches in recognition of his being placed as the 1.5 millionth visitor.

Huge crowds are turning up to Global Village this year and, despite the numbers, traffic has not proved a problem. Massive investment to roads infrastructure and traffic management over the past 8 months has reaped dividends.

"The Global Village team within the Dubai Festival City development, the DSF team, Dubai Police, relevant government departments and all the private contractors deserve praise for making this year's event such a success," said Gordon.

"Together, we spent many hours reviewing the road system and car-parking and in general it has all worked the way we had planned. Considering the additional 25% of visitors on top of last years number, there are no jams, traffic is flowing in and out of the site and people are enjoying the experience all the more because of it."

Gordon added that if numbers keep up the current rate, this year's total attendance will break last year's record of 2.3 million.

"We're well on the way to a huge total for this year and very soon, we're going to have to look at ways to improve Global Village for 2004," said Gordon.

The Global Village is being hosted by Dubai Festival City, a key sponsor of the  Dubai Shopping Festival. The Dubai Festival City development is the signature 'city-within-a-city' project being developed on the banks of Dubai Creek by the Al-Futtaim Group.

Global Village 2003 is being jointly produced and managed by DSF and the Al-Futtaim Group. It features 32 pavilions, the fun fair, stage and street entertainment, restaurants, coffee shops and a new children's play.