Nabila Hesham was trying to calm her toddler, Ahmad. He was crying in front of one of the pavilions at the Global Village. It was an early February weekend and the Global Village was full of visitors. The Dubai Shopping Festival was still on.

She could not figure out the reason why the child was upset was it for food or was he irritated because of the crowds around or was it because of the noise. Her husband, Mustafa Hesham, was busy with his digital camcorder, his latest gadget, trying to capture the best images of the on-going festivities.

On top of the hustle and bustle, comes a large parade with performers. It was a procession of colours and costumes, creating a festive environment and blending the many facades of cultures.

Members of the troupes were dancing to the tune of music while walking past the crowd. It was a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-national parade in its true sense.

While the parade approached the walkway where Nabila was holding Ahmad, she panicked, anticipating further trouble. But to her surprise, the boy stopped crying when he saw the tall, colourful figures with bright costumes passing by and waving at him. The expression on his face began to change as the troupe passed the family he began to smile and waved back at them. One of the troupe members even rubbed his forehead a symbolic way of wishing good luck. The smile widened on Hesham's face.

Nabila was stunned. She could not believe her eyes. The boy was laughing.

In a world estranged between religion, history and civilisations cultures can do the trick of unifying the world. Global Village has been doing this, in a relatively small but effective way.

Apart from the parade, the colourful facades of each pavilion tell a story on the nation's history, heritage and culture.

The facades of 46 pavilions at the Global Village reflects the distinct cultures and heritages of 46 nations, and a visitor would be amazed to learn about the uniqueness in each of them. These are either replicas of national monuments or depict the deep rooted culture and society of these nations.

When some people talk about the clash of cultures and civilisations on the other side of the planet, Global Village is talking about merging them, bringing them closer to create "One World, One Family" and make it "One Festival". A closer look at each of them would educate an individual and help him develop an understanding of that country's culture and heritage.

Reunion

A young visitor from Japan was greeted upon arrival at Dubai International Airport two years ago by Hassan Al Ameer, a member of the UAE Global Reunion Committee which invited 160 youths from 43 countries to participate at the 4th UAE Global Reunion which was held as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF).

The visitor was surprised with the state-of-the-art facilities at the airport and told his host, "You have such a developed and wonderful terminal, I couldn't imagine while in Japan. I thought the country is full of deserts, oil and camels."

Al Ameer, who was briefed well by his fellow members, was prepared for this. This is nothing new to him. He said, "Don't worry, we have some camels waiting to take you to the hotel."

The visitor actually believed it. He was really expecting camels to transport him to the hotel, as jocularly said by his host. Upon clearing customs and immigration formalities, when he came out of the terminal building, he appeared surprised while scanning the busy street with approaching vehicles. He asked, "Where are the camels? These are all cars and buses! I didn't know you have modern transport system in the desert."

This, according to Al Ameer, is a fact and not a joke. "The story didn't end here. My friend thought that every Arab owns an oil rig and he asked me if I had mine. Now it was my turn to be surprised," he said. "I wish I had one."

This also demonstrates the cultural gap that exists between places, regions and people. The misconception about the Arabs and the Middle East that has been in place among many nationalities for ages, was a reason behind organising the annual UAE Global Youth Reunion, said Ahmad Al Shaikh, president of the initiative.

Yuka Teranishi, a Japanese participant at the reunion, said after her visit to the Global Village, "When I came to the UAE, I had a wrong idea about the country and its people. I initially thought that I will not be allowed to wear my own attire and might be forced to wear the traditional Arab dress for women. I was told that the Arabs are not friendly and they might be dangerous.

"My entire perception changed from the moment I landed at the airport. I saw friendly, cultured and civilised people, modern society, modern facility. Some of the things are even better than my own country!

"I did not realise that the people in the Arab world are so modern in their living. I was astonished with the level of development that had taken place in this place. People respect others while talking and interacting while maintaining friendly vibes."

What a group of young UAE nationals have undertaken to promote world peace, could be a model initiative for others.

Another perspective

Just to put the issue in another perspective, the number of passport holders in the United States used to be around 10 per cent of its population a few year's ago. This number has recently gone up to 15 per cent.

"Which means only 10 per cent of the US citizens travelled abroad a few years ago. Currently, it has gone up to 15 per cent," Ed Fuller, Marriott International's managing director for International Lodging said at the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market last year.

"This means about 15 per cent of the Americans now travel beyond their country's border. And this is a very good sign."

"The only way to beat the present estrangement between the Arab World and the West, is to encourage people to fly, meet and familiarise with each other's cultures. This is the only way, we can bridge the gap between the two worlds. Tourism sector has a great role to play in bridging this gap."

At a recent conference in Dubai, speakers told Arab business leaders, the future of global business will be determined not only by technology or bio-technology, but by cultures.

Work culture, office culture, social values, corporate ethics will soon become of utmost importance to people doing business. Deals are expected to be done based on, among other factors, cultures, values and perception.

Since its inception in 1996, Global Village, in many ways, has become a melting pot of cultures, helping visitors to understand other cultures, sample their traditional food and buy that country's traditional products.

It has been the single most important component of the DSF an event tailored to boost Dubai's tourism and retail sector. Global Village has done more than justice to its mandate over the last ten years.

Now, it has gone beyond to expand its reach. Global Village has now been extended beyond the DSF, has been brought under a new management to expand its scope and reach further.

As more and more visitors visit the large facility, they develop better understanding and respect for others' belief and cultures. In a divided world that is all matters, at least for the time being.

For the last four years running, the DSF has been promoting One World, One Family, One Festival a theme aimed at bridging cultural gaps among people as more and more people are travelling for business and leisure across the globe.