São Paulo – A theme park dedicated to the diversity of countries, with attractions that range from typical products and foods to shows and cultural presentations. This is the Global Village, an event that is open six months a year in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and which, for the first time, counts with the presence of a Brazilian pavilion.
A structure that represents Ipiranga Museum, in the city of São Paulo, makes up the facade for visitors to enter the space with 36 shops, one restaurant and a snack bar. “We brought products like stones from Minas Gerais, cosmetics from Amazonas, pillows from Paraná, golden grass handicraft from Tocantins, silver from São Paulo and lingerie and bikinis from Rio Grande do Sul,” said Hassan Bassam, responsible for the Brazilian pavilion in the event.
Brazilian food is present at the restaurant, which serves rice and beans, for example, and at the snack bar, which offers the typical Brazilian coxinha (little chicken dumplings. Homemade biscuits and coffee may also be purchased at the shops in the pavilion.
“We took a band, Samba de Saia, from Curitiba, which has been playing for two months. After the 15th of this month, we will also have ballroom dancing presentations, with dancers from Rio de Janeiro, and keepie-uppie presentations,” said Bassam regarding the attractions of the pavilion.
Bassam was born in Lebanon, but, at age 16, moved to Brazil, where he married a Brazilian, had children and got dual citizenship. Now, with the organisation of the Brazilian pavilion at Global Village, he lives in Brazil for half the year and in the Emirates for the other half.
Living in Curitiba, Paraná, he set up company Sarah Exportação e Importação and started bringing products from the Arab countries to Brazil. With the good relations between both regions, Bassam was invited to set up the Brazilian pavilion at the Global Village. He got the support of company Al Warqaa, from Dubai, and accepted the engagement.
Investment for entry into the park was US$ 500,000, including from assembly to transport of goods and the hiring of the 48 employees who left Brazil to work at the event.
According to the businessman, Brazilian participation has been very successful. “Our pavilion is being much visited. It is a great attraction as it is our first year,” he said, adding that the pavilion has already been visited by Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and by Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, the ruler of Sharjah.
New business
Bassam says that after the end of the event he will decide whether he will participate in the next Global Village, but adds that he has already signed contracts to set up a pavilion in the same moulds at an event in Kuwait, in August next year.
“I am travelling to Abu Dhabi, to negotiate, and it is possible for us also to organize [a pavilion] in Qatar,” he revealed. With the new opportunities in other Arab countries, Bassam pointed out that he wants to attract more Brazilian companies to these events. He said that, to Kuwait alone, he should take 80 Brazilian companies. “These events open great doors for Brazilian companies. Apart from that, our company provides all assistance for the participation of those interested,” he said.
Global Village
Created in 1996, the park remains open six months a year, always from October to March. According to Bassam, the idea of establishing an event to bring together attractions from several countries came from a Palestinian university student who lived in Dubai and presented the project to the emir, who approved it and established Global Village.
The park has received over four million visitors with each edition. Global Village opens every day, and tickets go from 5 to 10 dirham. On Mondays, the park is open solely for family visitation, and single men or women are not allowed in.
Apart from Brazil, the park includes another 30 national pavilions, including the Moroccan, Qatari, Tunisian, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Spanish and Chinese. The current edition of the event began on October 21st and ends on March 30th, 2013.
Further information about the park is available at www.globalvillage.ae.
Contact
Hassam Bassam
Cel: +971 566371881
E-mail: compras.hm@uol.com.br
Contact in Brazil, Cíntia Muraro
Cel.: (+55 41) 9944-3312 or (+55 41) 9944-3315
*Tradução de Mark Ament
