Global Village

The carnival-like Global Village runs from late November to late February about 13km south of Sheikh Zayed Rd. Think of it as a sort of World Fair for shoppers. Each of the 30-something pavilions showcases a specific nation’s culture and – of course – products. Some favourites: the Afghanistan pavilion for fretwork-bordered stone pendants and beaded-silver earrings; Palestine for traditional cross-stitch kandouras (casual shirt-dresses worn by men and women) and ever-popular cushion covers; Yemen for its authentic khanjars (traditional curved daggers); India for spangly fabrics and slippers; and Kenya for its kitsch bottle-top handbags. Dig the earnest entertainment, from Chinese opera to Turkish whirling dervishes.