By Philip Mwakio
Dubai will in a month’s time host the annual Global Village event slated to commence from October 21 and runs up to March 31, 2013. The event provides cultural entertainment along with international shopping experience to millions of shoppers.
Exhibitors can participate for a fortnight, one month, two months or even the entire duration of the event.
Global Village is an integral part of Dubai shopping Festival, organised by the Government of Dubai.
The event, first mooted in 1996 acts as the largest business centre in the whole of the Middle East
It provides exhibitors with a chance to showcase their products and services to an estimated 1.5 million people who shall visit the village. Jalal Balala, the event’s organiser and coordinator of the African Pavilion at the Global village told Business Weekly that already 50 Kenyan firms have confirmed their participation.
“Exhibitors will be showcasing their merchandise, economy, arts, crafts, tourism, heritage, culture, cuisine and unique lifestyle,’’ said adding that past exhibitors were able to cut business deals worth millions of shillings.
Jalal said this year’s Africa’s participation has been graced with additional participation of Angola, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and the Gambia.
He observed that the event provides opportunity to the Tea Board of Kenya, Coffee Board of Kenya, Kenya Tourist Board and the National Flower Council to showcase their products.
Jalal appealed the banking industry to set up shop in Dubai to tap into the estimated 45,000 Kenyan nationals engaged in lawful business. “After the US and UK, the United Arab Emirates is ranked third in terms of Diaspora remittances by Kenyans...Kenyans in the Middle East remit over Sh1 billion monthly.”
