There was no major damage to entertainment facilities during the unprecedented rains recorded in the UAE last month, said Fernando Eiroa, CEO of Dubai Holding Entertainment.
“We were lucky we didn’t have major problems at parks due to the rains. We had some accumulation of water and leakage. But we were able to fix them fast and the team did a fantastic job. We reopened the parks very fast. The response by Dubai was amazing for the amount of rain received in just one day. I have lived in many countries, but the reaction and how the government handled it was amazing,” he said during an interview with Khaleej Times on Tuesday.
Dubai Holding Entertainment owns and operates 20 parks and attractions in the UAE. In addition to Global Village, some of the big subsidiaries are Dubai Parks and Resorts, Coca-Cola Arena, Green Planet, Roxy Cinemas, Wild Wadi Park, Inside Burj Al Arab Tour and a few radio stations.
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The UAE recorded heavy rains in mid-April, the highest in 75 years, resulting in flooding of many areas in Dubai and Sharjah.
Global Village record numbers
Eiroa said that Dubai’s multicultural shopping and entertainment destination Global Village is set to surpass its last year’s record visitor numbers this year.
“Global Village has been doing fantastically well. We extended it for some days, because we had to close for a few days due to heavy rains, to compensate our customers and due to huge demand from visitors. It has been performing really well for the past few seasons and this year’s season is going to be better than last year’s record season,” Eiroa told Khaleej Times in an interview on Tuesday.
In 2023, the 27th season of Global Village attracted more than 9 million visitors, its highest-ever number.
The 28th season of the popular shopping and entertainment destination was supposed to close on April 28 but was extended to May 5. For its last three days, the popular festival park’s opening hours were extended from 4 pm to 2 am.
“This year’s Global Village season will be much better than last year,” he said on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market on Tuesday.
Eiroa added that 2024 is also going to be another record year for its entertainment destinations as the number of tourists coming to Dubai continues to increase.
“This year is going to be another record. Dubai Parks and Resorts, Green Planet, Coca-Cola Arena, and Roxy Cinemas are doing very well. We are always thinking of new attractions and experiences to bring to Dubai. We will have new concepts and attractions coming to our parks very soon. We have big plans for Global Village and Dubai Parks and Resorts in terms of expansion and new experiences,” he added.
Eiroa said Dubai is one of the top destinations in the world for tourists and well known for hotels and restaurants. “Now Dubai is becoming well known for entertainment also,” he added.