Dubai: A visit to Global Village can be a fun and unforgettable experience, yet for some it becomes a frustrating and unforgettable experience.
A woman and her mother experienced exactly that when the elder woman - in her fifties and unwell - got lost in the crowd.
Her daughter then struggled for several hours to find her.
It was a crowded Friday night and the daughter went to pray, asking her mother to wait for her. When she came back, she could not find her.
Three hours passed and the daughter still did not have any clue as to her mother's whereabouts. The mother did not carry a mobile phone and was only accompanied by a maid.
She finally met a police officer who offered to help after he saw the daughter collapsing with frustration and anxiousness.
Lieutenant Bishr Al Muhairi, Deputy Police Officer at the Global Village, was taking a lost child to a reception area when he saw the woman desperate to find her mother.
After she gave the officer a description of her mother and the maid, the officer sent a call to every police officer in Global Village with the descriptions of them.
Three to four minutes after sending the call, Lieutenant Al Muhairi got a call from a policemen saying that he had found the missing women.
The bitter experience ended with a sweet question from the mother, who asked her daughter: "Why did you leave me?" There was no answer to that except tears of happiness and hugs of love.
Al Muhairi says the Dubai Police security teams are assigned to various areas in the Global Village to ensure the safety of property and visitors.
He said the first thing they do is ensure there are no cars in the Global Village.
Bad behaviour
There are 172 policemen and women assigned to deal with the public, helping them in any possible way, answering their queries and keeping an eye on the security aspects by preventing any bad behaviour.
Al Muhairi said it is also their job to alert visitors to the importance of looking after their belongings, especially valuable items such as cameras and bags which might be lost or stolen.
Helpline
There is a special Dubai Police operations room at Global Village to respond to any kind of query and provide help, including first aid, to visitors at Global Village. Visitors can call on: 04-3624444.
What steps would you take to ensure you do not get lost in huge public places? Are the signs and maps at the Global Village useful in providing directions?
